


Tangled Up in the Magic

by baylugawhales



Category: Merlin (TV), Tangled (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 09:34:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10461726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baylugawhales/pseuds/baylugawhales
Summary: Merlin lives in a lonely tower, even though he has a friend, a dragon named Aithusa, and his mother, a powerful sorceress named Morgana. The outside world is calling out to him from every side, but his mother demands that he remain in this tower. So far he's obeyed this wish, except now he's eighteen and wants to see the lights in the kingdom he sees from his window. Cue Arthur Pendragon. A rogue-ish prince who just went through with a horrible plan and feels as though he's embarking on another. Okay, maybe it starts off horrible, but it ends good. Real good.♦ ❖ ♦Basically, this is a spin-off of Disney's Tangled with BBC's Merlin. Kudos to both parties.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> My first work. If there's any constructive criticism out there, let me hear it please! This has basically been sitting in my files for ages and I just haven't had the courage/motivation(?) to post it, basically. It's really wound around the movie, and it's going to be very jumpy throughout. I hope this wasn't a bad idea. Thanks for reading and enjoy! (:

     This is the story of how I almost died. Don’t fret, it’s nothing sad. It’s a happy story, and I’m not even the star! This story is about a boy named Merlin, and it starts in a land of myth and a time of magic. Where the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of this young man.

  
    Now, once upon a time, there were two kingdoms whose borders seemed to blur between them. Magic and sorcery flowed throughout both divisions, though the sorcerers felt more welcomed by one crown over the other. There were many users of magic but only a few were exceptionally powerful. The King and the High Priestess, Morgana, were considered the strongest of mages throughout the lands of Albion. Do me a favor and remember Morgana, she’s somewhat important. Now, in the other kingdom, the King and Queen were, by their people and allies, revered but to others they could be a nightmare.

  
     During a short time of peace, the Queen, my mother, well she was about to have a baby. Me. The other castle had had one a couple months back. Their queen had her’s without any problems or complications. Only my mother got sick, really sick. She was running out of time, and that’s when you typically start looking for a miracle. For this instance, a powerful sorceress. Morgana (told you she was important) was asked to help deliver the baby through magic. She agreed, as she had done this many times before. Even having helped her home kingdom months earlier. The baby was a boy in the neighboring kingdom and he had already displayed some serious skills in the magic department. Rocking his own crib, breaking milk bottle after milk bottle, and word soon got around that he may be the most powerful wizard to have ever been born. His name? Merlin Emrys.

  
      But back to my mother. I suppose that Morgana had been planning this for awhile but, she rushed through the delivery and my mother died the next day after I was born. The king was devastated and sent soldiers to the other realm. When they arrived, Morgana was gone and so was the prince.

  
      The two powers crumbled and in their wake, their ties were torn down with hatred and pain. The results were long wars, and the death of many magically inclined people. Even though the kingdoms had grown to despise one another, they managed to tolerate each other for one day. The day a queen and a prince was lost. Both castles lit lanterns that they released into the night sky every year on the night that struck both realms with tragedy.

  
      Now, where did Morgana go and what did she do with that child she stole? Well, it wasn’t anything good. She took the boy out into the depths of the nearby forest to a hidden tower and raised the child as her own. She had plans to make him a weapon. Training him long and hard and on the verge of cruelty, and only saying it was “to help him protect himself,” and “he deserved to be strong” as a way to keep the child appeased with her. Morgana had a weapon she planned on raising with a dedication to only her and she was determined to keep it that way. Even as a child, Merlin wasn’t even allowed to play in the clearing around his tower with the excuse of the world being a selfish place, filled with selfish people that are determined to steal anything that was giving. The tower could hide Merlin from everything, but it wasn’t true for the other way around. For once a year, a couple months after Merlin’s birthday those lanterns filled the sky. They drove out the stars and replaced them, hoping their glow would someday guide the lost prince home.


	2. Chapter 1

     Aithusa scrambled her way through the huge crack between the top window’s shutters and the wall surrounding it. She makes her way through and clumsily stretches herself from her claws to her snout till she’s holding both sides of the wooden ledges. Merlin throws the shutters open with a  _ whoosh _ that makes the small creature almost lose her hold.

     “Ha!...I suppose that Aithusa’s not here. She must be somewhere else.” He says while looking around before stepping out of the window frame and a couple steps more. With a sly smile he jumps back and looks up at the sound of a repressed snort, “Found you! That’s, what, fifteen for me? How about sixteen out of twenty?”

     Merlin sits down on the edge of the ledge while Aithusa shakes her head and lets go of her grasp on the walls. She lands ungracefully on Merlin’s head before sliding down in front of him, pretending to be dead.

     “I’ll take that as a no, Madam Drama. So, what should we do then?” He asks, poking the small dragon in the ribs. Her head shoots up before she riggles around to her feet jumping excitedly and pointing her long tail in the direction of the outside. “Uh-huh, we’re not going out. You know what mother would say! Besides, it’s quite fun in here anyways.”

     And with that, Merlin scoops up Aithusa who can only roll her eyes and whirls back inside. He looks at the small clock on the shelf and reads eight a.m.. He picks up the broom from a corner in the kitchen and with a huff, starts his chores. He sweeps, waxes the floors, does the laundry, mops the kitchen, and sweeps again.

_      Surely it’s been an hour or two by now _ , he thinks. 8:35, the clock snaps. Merlin groans

     “Maybe, I’ll read a book... or five,” he sighs before marching over to the bookshelf and picking his most favorites out. He finishes those within the next two hours. Still the same dramatic characters and unsatisfying endings. He decides to paint onto himself intricate patterns, and when he’s done with himself he does Aithusa the same. He doesn’t know why he enjoys doing this. Having the cold paint stick to his skin and painting himself into someone new  are probably why. He then makes lunch and looks out the window wondering what kind of life is this? His day continues with the same spontaneous acts of randomness to keep his boredom at bay. Him and his companion do everything from making paper dolls, to practicing magic, all the way to having fun in a race to see who can climb to the ceiling rafters fastest. Anything to kill the boredom. He jumps up from the spot in the floor he was laying down on, a spot in front of the window where he can watch the sky, and sends Aithusa flying into the wall with a thud. He shouts a quick apology to his tiny friend before sliding on the rug in front of a calendar.

     “This week sometime during the night they send the lanterns up into the sky. Oh it’s going to be grand, I just know it! You wanna know why, Aithusa?” He looks at her perched upon his shoulder and walks to the window. He leans on the window sill, “I’m going to talk Morgana into letting me go look, since I have turned eighteen. Why wouldn’t she?”

♦ ❖ ♦

     The three men jumped stealthily across the roofs of the unsuspecting people down below. They wore tunics and breeches. Two had on a sword while the third had a rope slung across him as they raced to the palace. The three men were here for nothing good, which is surprising for who they are: Prince Arthur Pendragon, Sir Gwaine, and Sir Leon. Two of the bravest knights of all of Camelot.

     “Wow, I love this view. It’s nice to see our castle all the way from here for a change. It looks so majestic.” The prince said. He was squinting to see their looming castle in the far off distance up on a hill surrounded by trees upon trees upon trees.

     “Arthur, we don’t have time for this! C’mon!” One of his knights, Gwaine, said. “If we survive this and make it successful, then your dad will probably give you this castle for you to have.” They were stood upon the stucco roof of Albion’s castle. After The Great Divide, Albion kept the original name of the two kingdoms while the other became known as Camelot. Prince Arthur was here on a mission to steal something precious from the neighboring realm. It was neither something that was rightfully his nor had any real reason for taking this, for its very existence and actual owner were nothing more than rumors spread by people from before the Great Divide.. He decided to do it as a personal test to show his skill, and to make his father proud. Of course he only revealed this to his two closest friends, and strongest knights, who both agreed instantly to help out.

     “Wait… okay, I’ve admired enough. Let’s do this now.” He announced. Finally turning around to face his two accomplices with a smile and hands on his hips. Their plan is one that will surely fail. It’s a very flimsy idea, and it’s one of those spur of the moment ideas. The idea consists of the rope tied around Arthur’s waist, and the skylight window latch that’s been opened. Arthur sits on one of the ledges and gets ready to lower himself down. With one final cheeky smile, he pushes himself through the opening and is slowly brought closer and closer down to the floor. He lands softly, the _thud_ being absorbed by the carpet beneath his feet. He opens up the satchel he has on and stuffs a tiara in it. The guard, which had been standing solemnly ahead of Arthur, sneezes loudly.

     “Hm, a cold?” Arthur says without thinking.

     “No, allergies,” The guard freezes before whipping around so fast that Arthur can feel the whiplash from here. “Hey, wait! Get over here!”

     But Arthur’s already halfway back up to the hole in the ceiling. “It’s only nine and I’ve gotten the rumored tiara you stole from us. It should have been my mother’s, but your kingdom couldn’t even let us have just this to remember her by! But I’ve got it now. It’s an important day, sir, a very important day!”

♦ ❖ ♦

     “This is it. It’s a very important day. I’m going to do it. I’m going to ask her. Beg if I got to.” Merlin muttered to Aithusa, both were sitting together on a bunch of pillows.  Both were covered in a new design that Merlin had painted on both of them to match.

     “Merlin, I’m here! Throw down the ladder!” A shrill voice echoed from the open window. Merlin and Aithusa look at the window then at each other. With a sigh through his nose, Merlin stands slowly.

     “And so it begins,” Merlin skips over to the window and stands on the sill. He grabs a rope ladder that’s been rolled up and tied that has been sat atop the window. He unfurls the ladder a little and looks down at the ground, hesitating to throw it down.

     “Merlin, I’m never going to get up here during this year if you keep lollygagging as you are!” Morgana complains. When merlin looks down he sees that Morgana is burdened with two baskets that look completely full and overstuffed.

     “Watch out below!” Merlin warns, and with one last unsure glance out the window, tosses the end out the window where it flies to the bottom. While Morgana climbs the ladder, Merlin pulls it up and in. They meet in the middle and Morgana jumps through the opening and lands gracefully on her feet, her dress flowing back to the floor behind her in waves. “Welcome back, mum.”

     “Oh, Merlin, it must be horribly strenuous to have to keep dragging in your mother day in and day out like you do.” Morgana said while standing at arm’s length in front of Merlin, holding his hands.

     “It’s, it’s, uh, nothing. Really.” Merlin stammered. Morgana throws his hands out of hers and stalks to the mirror and looks at her hair and dress.

     “Then I don’t understand why it could take you so long, especially to throw down the ladder! That’s the easiest part.” Morgana snaps. She looks down before smoothing out her silken navy dress. “I’m sorry for fussing, Merlin. It’s just I get worried leaving you all alone in this tower sometimes.”

     Merlin strolls over and stands beside her, and looks searchingly at the floor as if looking for some extra courage for what he’s about to ask. He looks up at Morgana through the mirror, their reflections, one that screams to show respect and the  other that shows an awkward teenager who looks ready to puke. He clears his throat, “So, uhm, mother. This week has an exciting day-”

     “Em, look at the mirror. You know what I see? I see a powerful mage and someone who amounts very high in life. Oh, and you’re here too! Ha, I’m just teasing, lighten up!” She smiles at him, her arms come up and around his shoulders before they began to straighten out his neckerchief, then ruffling his hair. He flinches a little at her messing up his hair. It took him forever to get it to lay down!  _ Focus _ , Merlin thinks,  _ don’t lose your resolve! Ask already! _

     “As I was about to say, tomorrow-” Merlin gets cut off again, as Morgana strolls over to a chair by the kitchen table and sits.

     “Merlin, I’m feeling a bit rundown at the moment. Could you scoop me a  bowl of whatever you had for lunch?” Morgana asks sitting in the chair and propping her elbow on the table and resting her head upon her hand.

     “Oh-h, sure!” Merlin scrambles to the kitchen and grabs a bowl out of one of the cupboards and ladles the stew out of the pot. It was supposed to be a beef stew, but he didn’t have any beef and only potatoes, corn, and green beans. He grabbed a spoon out of a drawer and scurried to the table, almost sloshing the food out of the bowl. He sets it down in front of her before pulling out a chair of his own and plops down on it. He leans forwards on the table, “So, mother, like I was saying, this week has a pretty big day. It was my birthday, as you probably know, but not just any birthday either. My eighteenth birthday and it’s been a couple months since it’s passed!”

     “Oh, have you really gotten that old already? My the time sure has flown. I don’t think I even gave you a present.” Morgana looks at him with a calculating look. A look the Merlin has grown scared of because of what it means during training telling of how cold she is about to get.

     “Yeah, and uhm, since I’m eighteen, i wanted to ask, beg even, that if I could, uh if it’d be okay, erm-” Merlin stutters and stammers.

     “Merlin, if you’re going to say it, then say it. Or else keep your mouth shut. Nobody will ever like you if you keep stuttering and mumbling like that.” She states, bringing another spoonful of stew to her mouth. Aithusa hops onto Merlin’s lap and nods at him, which she then proceeds to curl up in his lap. The small comfort gives Merlin a bit more courage than he expected. He decides it would be best to spit it out than to choke on it.

     “Mother, I want to go see the floating lights.” He says, his cheeks are really warm. Are they supposed to be that warm? Should he be able to even tell their warm?

     “Uhm, you mean the stars?” Morgana asks, clearly confused. The calculating look is no longer on her face, only bewilderment remains. Merlin stands up and Aithusa tumbles to the ground, where she turns to look at him pacing the floor before snorting and stalking off to lay down somewhere else.

     “That’s the thing, though. You had me memorize the stars and the constellations, and showing the times of the year that they come around, but these don’t look like stars, or make any sort of constellation that matches anything in the book. Plus they only happen once a year… I want to go see them. In person. Find out what exactly they are! Please, just for an hour max!”

     Morgana stood up and on her face was a look of cold anger. The pot on the stove flew, splashing stew everywhere, and hit Merlin square in the back. He stumbled forwards and landed clumsily on his knees.

     “Merlin Emrys. That world out there, the world that I have spent protecting you from, and you want to betray all the hard work I’ve put into you to waste by ‘going outside and seeing some peculiar lights’!” She screeched, standing in front of Merlin, who had been thrown onto the wall by her magic. “You know better. There are monsters disguised as men who will kill you in a heartbeat for who and what you are. I’m the only one who will ever love or care about you. Trust in only your mother and don’t ever ask me again about going outside. You aren’t ready to go out, there’s so much I have yet to teach you. Understand?”

     She released Merlin from the magic that had him pinned and held his shoulders. “It’s only for your own good. I love you, Em.”

     “I love you too.” Merlin sighed. He could feel the bruises on his back already. He really made her mad. But why? She’s never overreacted like she had today. She smiled that had still a ghost of anger hovering behind it. She kissed his forehead, then let go of his shoulders.

**“I’ll be back later, Merlin. Relax and be ready for a big birthday surprise!” She slung the end of the ladder out the window, waved goodbye, and slid down holding only the sides of it. **


	3. Chapter 2

     “This is bad. This is very bad.” Arthur murmurs. They had gotten lost somewhere in the chase they had got pulled in. Looking up, there were about eight soldiers on horses racing along a bluff in front of them.

     “Oh, come off it, Arthur. You know it’s all part of the fun!” Gwaine said, staring ahead at the oncoming soldiers. His hand hovered over the sword. They had managed to get out of the castle, and flee into the woods but they didn’t get very far before they had boxed themselves in a small gully of sorts.

     “Yeah, Arthur, you’re the one that alway says that you’d love to have a go with these guys. Here’s our chance.” Leon, the other knight, piped in. He looked at Arthur with a hint of mocking humor in his eyes.

     “Yes, and I would love too, except for the small fact that I don’t have sword on me right now.” Arthur snipped.

     “Oh, alright, buzzkill. I’ll boost you two up and then you can pull me up.” Gwaine said already walking to the back rockface. He positioned himself with his knees bent and hands intertwined as a small platform to boost a foot up so a hand can grab the ledge above. “Leon, you first. Hup, hup!”

     Leon rolls his eyes and takes a couple steps back before skipping into a run. He steps into Gwaine’s hands before jumping and getting an extra boost up by Gwaine pushing back upwards. He soars upwards and gets half his torso onto the grassy overhead. He shimmies the rest of the way up, before turning around ready to help Arthur pull himself up when he copies his movements and springs up onto the ledge. After the two are both safely above they turn and reach and snatch Gwaine’s hands and pull him up after he went farther back than both of them and sprinting most of the way up the ledge.

     They start running but hear one of the soldiers yell “Get the bag by any means!” followed by a chorus of horse whinnies and soldiers yelling their agreement. Arthur, Gwaine, and Leon look at each other, nod and run off in different directions. They all know where to meet back up at. The guards too soon split up and chase after each of them.

     Arthur is sprinting for his life through the woods. He’s jumping over, sliding under, and skirting around the trees, but he just can’t seem to shake off this one guy. The soldier’s literally right on his tail and it’s worrying Arthur about how close he seems to be getting. It doesn’t help either when he hears the guard yell “we got him now, Kilgharrah!” It only puts an extra pep to his step. He sees a vine coming up and grabs it. He whirls around an enormous tree before crash landing onto the saddle of the horse and knocking the original rider far off. The horse goes a few more feet before coming to a sudden halt. He turns and looks at Arthur then the satchel. He snaps for it and Arthur lurches the bag away.

     “No, don’t grab that go forwards, you dumb beast!” Arthur says kicking his feet into the animal’s sides. Instead of obliging, the horse starts a tug-of-war game with the satchel, leading to it being flung over to a dangling tree root off the side of a cliff.  _ Oh, God… _ Arthur thinks regrettably. They’re both fighting to the edge trying to beat the other to the satchel.  _ I’d never thought I’d see the day where a  _ horse  _ would actually be someone I had to fight with _ , Arthur thought as he scooched his way from under the tree root to the edge where the bag hung. There’s a loud cracking before the branch is falling, falling, falling.

♦ ❖ ♦

     Arthur wakes with a quiet groan, he landed behind a giant boulder by the cliff base. After a quick five-second observation to see if anything is broken, he realizes that he’s luckily just sore from the fall. He pokes his head from the side of the rock and sees the horse has gone off some ways away from him. He scrambles up and backs slowly into the vines behind him and rolls backwards. He jumps up and sneaks further into the little cavern he had fallen into. The horse has made its way back in front of the vines and actually seems to be looking for him. He looks to the vines one last time before trotting quietly further into the tunnel, as he soons discovers. He trips over a small rock on his way out and stumbles into a clearing. Standing in awe he stares up at a tall tower. An enormously gigantic tower. It’s surrounded by lush grass, with a river flowing through it in a lazy wave. The river is coming from a waterfall that’s close behind the tower. He walks towards it cautiously, like the owner may come charging out at him or the horse may come at him from behind. He looks behind him again, paranoid, before running through the clearing looking for a way up into it. His logic is to hide until the chase is down before going back anywhere. Finding two steel arrows, he sets to work of scaling up the tower and to the open window.

     After much hard work he makes it onto the window ledge. He hops through and lands on his knees on the floor. Standing up he looks around and thinks alone at last.

     It’s a shame he can’t catch a break today.

_Clang,_ and a rush of air comes from behind him and Arthur falls to the floor with a thud. Merlin jumps back at the sound with a girlish squeak. He comes up besides Arthur’s face and pokes it with his big toe.

     “I’ve never actually had to have done that before on a real person.” Merlin whispers, his eyes wide. He looks at Aithusa, “You don’t think he’s dead, do you?”

     Aithusa shrugs her shoulders and just watches him from where she’s sat. Merlin pokes him again and looks back at the tiny dragon. She looks back and curls back her lip showing off her jagged teeth. His teeth? His teeth! Merlin’s mother said that the bad men outside had sharp teeth. He grabs a ruler off of a nearby shelf and pushes Arthur’s lip back to reveal somewhat crooked but flat teeth.  _ That’s odd _ , he thinks. He uses the stick to move the other’s bangs out of his face.  _ This is really odd. This guy looks like nothing mother has told me of _ , Merlin observes.

     Suddenly Arthur’s eyes shoot open and Merlin gasps before casting a stronger knock-out spell on him. Him and Aithusa roll Arthur onto a nearby rug before dragging him to the nearby wardrobe. It’s a struggle but after many attempts, they manage to shove him into the closet and get it to stay shut by shoving a chair under the closet’s handles.

     “There’s a person in my tower,” Merlin says pacing in front of the closet with Aithusa watching from a distance, “there’s a person here… there’s a person here! And in my closet!” He giggles and saunters in front of the mirror, “now mother, what were you saying about not being able to take care of myself?”

     He bends over giggling to himself and sees a satchel on the floor. He looks at it quizzically before reaching and opening it up. It’s a… it’s a something. Merlin doesn’t know what exactly but it’s a something. It’s a tall, but then silvery metal circle that has green-tinted, yellow-tinted, and clear rocks covering it in an alternating color pattern. He sticks it on his arm, but it clatters to the floor. Aithusa makes a sound of disapproval. He picks it back up and turns to the mirror, lifting it, he places it on his head. He turns around to the dragon and sticks his hands on his hips. Aithusa cocks her head to one side, blinks, then makes the same disapproving sound.

     “Merlin!” Morgana yells. Merlin gasps before grabbing the bag off the floor, ripping the ring off his head and shoving them into a vase. “Let down the ladder!”

     “One second, mother!” Merlin yells while running and jumping onto the window sill and ripping the ladder back down and out the window.

     “I have a big surprise, like I promised!” Morgana yells as she steps onto the first rung, holding a basket in her hand. It looks like it’s up to Merlin to pull her all the way up. He grabs the ladder and pulls it up rung by rung. Eventually he yanks the last rung in and Morgana perches herself on the ledge before jumping all the way through. 

     “Surprise!” Morgana flips back the cover on the basket she’s carrying to show vegetables she had in there.as well as many colorful kerchiefs “I also decided that tonight we won’t train, and that I’ll make you your favorite dish as an apology for earlier. I don’t want you to think of me as the bad guy, I hope you’re not too mad at me?” Morgana looks at Merlin with an undecipherable look. He knows she means to make it look sad and regretful, but he doesn’t see it anymore. He didn’t even see the happiness in her with her surprise. Has it ever been there?

     “Oh, thank you, mother! That’s so nice, and I think I forgave you already on the whole lights thing. I understand where you’re coming from.” He says trying to shake the idea about his mother acting the entirety of his life away. He looks up to one painting he did today of him surrounded by his magic and the lights. “I decided what I really wanted for my birthday anyways.”

     “And what’s that, dear?”

     “New paint. Y’know, the ones made from that one guy from the port city you once brought me?” Merlin said nervously. His eyes darted quickly from the floor to Morgana and had a shaky half-smile covering his face. Morgana looked at him from over her shoulder while at the kitchen counter.

     “Em, that’s a really long trip. Three days at least.” She says, looking with what Merlin could only describe at concern. _She could make a good actress_ , he thinks before feeling extreme guilt. She turns around and starts walking to Merlin, they meet around the middle and hug each other. “Do you think you’ll be fine on your own here for that long?”

     “Yes, I’ll be fine… especially since I’m going to be in this tower.” Merlin swallows. She nods.

     “Okay, then I’ll make the stew and set off after dinner.” She says before she sets to work. “Merlin, why don’t you and Aithusa go and redecorate yourselves, your paints are starting to fade.”

     “Okay, mother,” He says while he picks up Aithusa and runs upstairs to his bedroom. He pulls out his paints and starts working on the most elaborate design he’s ever done. He chooses a yellowy-green color and goes in all sorts of geometric patterns. For Aithusa, he paints the edges of her scales in a shimmery blue, the white of her scales making the blue seem darker than it is.

♦ ❖ ♦

     Soon the stew was made and ate in silence. A basket was stuffed with supplies and Morgana had put on her cloak. They said their farewells and Morgana was now out of sight having just gone through the tunnel. As soon as the last bit of her dress was out of sight, Merlin raced back up into his bedroom. He slid across the floor squealing to a halt in front of the closet where he had shoved the other man in. He slowly pulled the chair away from the closet and stood cautiously behind it. He murmured a chant and the doors opened slowly. Then Arthur’s body started to teeter-totter before crumpling up on the floor. Merlin cautiously moved forward ready to use his magic to defend himself if need be. At the no response he got when he poked him with his toe again, he got an idea.

     He pushed the chair that was originally used to keep the closet shut into the middle of the room. Now, the chair had the man sitting in it tied by some of Merlin’s neckerchiefs. Now that he didn’t have to worry about his mother coming back he took time to actually look at the man. He had sandy yellow hair, and a kinda big nose. He wore a vivid red shirt and some black trousers. His pant legs were tuck into some black boots. Merlin couldn’t tell what his eyes looked like for they were still closed. Aithusa hopped up the chair and with her back feet on the man’s arm and her fronts on his shoulder, she jabbed her snout onto his cheek, and nothing. Maybe poking the other side with her tail? Nope. Then she stuck her snout in his ear and blew air out her nostrils.

     Success! The man jumped awake with a short scream and it was surprisingly manly. Aithusa shot off his shoulder before darting into the shadows. Arthur began struggling against his restraints. He looked down at himself and looked at the restraints confused.

     “Are, are these hankies?” He murmured. He heard hurried footsteps and looked up and around.

     “Struggling is, struggling is useless!” A shaky, nervous voice called out. “I’m pretty sure I know why you’re here, and I’m not the least bit scared, y’know!”

     “What?” Arthur called out looking around. He focused on the wardrobe in front of him which had a tall and lanky figure emerging out from behind it. A boy who had on a dusty, faded blue shirt with an equally faded red neckerchief on also had on some brown breeches that were cut off at the knees. He didn’t even have shoes, they didn’t even look like they had callouses. And… did he paint himself earlier? He was covered in smudged designs randomly all over his body.  _ Weird _ , Arthur thought.

     The boy lifted his hand some, “who are you and how did you find this place?”

     “Ah…” Arthur was at a loss for words, what did it matter if he was found or not?

     “Who are you and how did you get here?” The boy said inching closer and raising his hand more. What was he going to do with his hand?

     “I, uh, don’t know you or how I found this place but, I,”  _ Get it together, Arthur, tell this brat who’s boss _ , he berated himself, “I’m Prince Arthur of Camelot and I demand you let me go this instant.”

     “And I’m the Duke of Flaversham.” The boy mocked, he stood up straighter and lowered his hand to his side, “Alright, Arthur. Lemme ask you this: who else knows where my tower is?”

     “Look, handkerchief-”

     “Merlin.”

     “Look, I was in a situation that led me to the woods and to your tower and- hey, where’s my bag?!” Arthur started looking around wildly.

     “I’ve hidden it somewhere you’ll never find.” Merlin said crossing his arms with a smug look on his face. Arthur looked around for a couple of seconds.

**“It’s in that pot isn’t it?” He asked. _Clang._ **


	4. Chapter 3

Arthur awoke again to see a white dragon on his shoulder. He jumped with a verbal gasp and the dragon fell off the chair. It hissed at him before running to Merlin and climbing up and around his shoulders.

“Now I’ve hidden it to where you really can’t find it.” Merlin started to stalk around Arthur. He had his hand raised again, “So what do you want with me? Sell me to the highest bidder? Cage me? Kill me?”

Arthur only looked at him like he was crazy, “What? No. The only thing I want to do that deals with you is to get away!”

He stopped walking and looks at him, “wait- you don’t want me?”

“No, I don’t want- God, I was being chased, saw this tower, and climbed it to get away. That’s it!” Arthur watched Merlin look at him bewildered before the dragon whirled around to look at him. It raced down his arm and perched itself on Merlin’s fingertips and eyeballed Arthur. Merlin stepped a few feet back and the dragon clambered back onto the boy’s shoulders. Arthur tried to make out what they were mumbling but couldn’t. As soon as the mumbling had started it ended and Merlin whirled around.

“Okay, Arthur of Camelot, I am prepared to make a bargain with you.” Merlin stated coming to stand in front of Arthur, “do you know those floating lights they light once a year?”

“You mean the flying lanterns we do for the death of the queen and the neighboring kingdom does for the prince?” Arthur asked. Merlin pursed his lips and looked out the window. _I knew they weren’t stars_ , he thought.

“Alright, well this week they’re going to send these lanterns into the night sky and that brings us to my proposal: you will act as my guardian and take me to see the lights and bring me back safely. Then and only then will I give you your bag.” Merlin said while scratching the bottom of Aithusa’s chin and pointing to the kingdom Arthur had just escaped from.

“Yeah, no. That kingdom is mine and my kingdom’s sworn enemy.” Arthur said, “I am not going to go there. I’m going home straight after this.”

“Well you mentioned the other kingdom doing lanterns to, did you not? You can take me there instead. I’m not picky.” Merlin argued. “Something brought you here, Arthur, call it what you will: fate, destiny-”

“A horse.” Arthur injected.

“Whatever it may be, I’ve decided to trust you-” Merlin tried to continue.

“Terrible idea, really.” Arthur said while rolling his eyes.

“But trust in the fact that even if you take this tower apart brick by brick, you will never find your precious satchel without me.” Merlin threatened leaning down in Arthur’s face. Was that gold sparks dancing around in his eyes?

“So let me get this straight, I take you to see the lights and bring you home, you’ll give me my satchel back?” Arthur said eyeing Merlin.

“Basically,” Merlin replied, Arthur looked at him as if he were stupid, “I don’t have much of a choice but to give it to you upon our return. I don’t have a need for it and you’ll be able to fight it out of me then.”

Arthur hated how he could see the logic in that and couldn’t think of an argument “Alright, fine. I’ll take you to see the lanterns.” Arthur conceded.

Merlin popped straight up, “Really?!” he exclaimed. While he was leant over in Arthur’s face, Aithusa had taken to the very edge of Merlin’s shoulder so she too could get intimidatingly close to Arthur. When Merlin stood back up though, he sent the little creature flying straight into Arthur’s face, and actually made the chair fly backwards where it then crashed with a thud.

“Sorry,” Merlin said halfheartedly as he he came from behind the chair, set it back up, and started untying the kerchief restraints. When he was done, he ran off to his closet, clutching all the kerchiefs in his hands, while Arthur rubbed his wrists. Merlin had thrown open the doors and was pulling out the longest handmade rope made out of… more handkerchiefs? Arthur thought. How many did this boy even have? It looked like one of those jester tricks where he would keep pulling, and pulling, and pulling hanky after hanky out of a pocket, but this one was on a whole new level. After he pulled the entire thing out, he tied the last remaining kerchiefs, Arthur’s ex-restraints, on it. Arthur had slowly stood up and was feeling sore all over from having sat in that chair for who knows how long.

“You get to go down on the ladder, and once you’re down I’ll pull the ladder back up and join you using this. Hopefully.” Merlin said tying the kerchief rope around his waist. He ran down the stairs but jumped over the banister halfway down, landing clumsily on his feet before continuing to the window ledge and jumping upon it he threw down the ladder. He turned around and looked up to see Arthur making his way down the stairs.

“C’mon, clotpole! My mother moves faster than that, and she’s ancient!” Merlin said exasperated. Her bounded back to the bottom of the stairs and started shoving Arthur towards the window. Arthur rolled his eyes while clambering onto the ledge and grabbing the rungs he climbed down a little ways before he grabbed the sides of the ladder and slid the rest of the way down. Barely before his feet touched the ground and he had officially let go of the ladder, Merlin had already started to pull it back up. Arthur took a couple steps back and looked up. Merlin was standing on the ledge with one end of the kerchiefs tied around his waist and the other end dangling down to a little bit above the ground. He was gonna pulley himself down using what seemed to be a hook above the window for a flag or a hanging basket. Aithusa had herself tightly wound around one of Merlin’s legs. Merlin was holding onto the dangling part of the kerchiefs and gave it a slight couple of tugs. He put one foot back before using that to take a forceful leap forwards, he then slid down the rope he had made down, down, down, before he came to a complete stop, just above the ground. He hesitated before putting a foot down on the ground, then the other. He let go of the rope and looked at his feet in the grass. He looked at it somewhat confused and that itself made Arthur confused. Hasn’t he ever been outside that tower before? The thought was interrupted when he heard Merlin giggling. He had his face up to the sun with a toothy grin, his hair and clothes being ruffled by the wind. Merlin looked over to the side and saw the stream the wound its way around the tower and the next thing Arthur knew, Merlin had splashed into. This time he let out a full laugh.

“Oh, this is so exciting. Just like I dreamt it would be! Let’s go, I’ll race ya, Arthur!” Merlin said dazedly and already running to the tunnel. He froze, taking in his surroundings, he was out in the woods now, it was so different to how he could only see the treetops in the distance. To be this close to them and below them was so weird. If Morgana could see him now. He sucked in a breath. If she could see him now! He started looking around feeling giddy, and nervous, and horrified, and happy. Who cares if she saw him now? He cared- no! No he didn’t care if she saw him. It’s what she would do to him. But it didn’t matter did it? He’d be back before she got home and everything would be back to normal. He started running around, Aithusa had climbed up onto his shoulder when had first landed from the tower descent but now she had jumped off and was running around with him.

“Aithusa, we can play a proper game of hide-and-seek now! Oh, we can try tag too! And tree climbing races!” Merlin yelled between laughs while rolling down a hill. Arthur during all of this stayed a good ways away, trying to avoid being sucked into joining in this boy’s jubilee. Merlin sat up from where he had landed and an extreme look of guilt loitered on his face. Arthur had sense some conflict from where he had been observing the teen. Maybe, just maybe, this would get him out of the deal A.S.A.P.. The guilty look melted away when Merlin caught sight of a giant tree; Arthur, who was leaning against this same tree, thought he was looking at him for a second before realizing what he was actually looking at. Merlin then looked down and saw that the kerchief rope was still tied around his waist which then prompted him to jump up and gallop over to the tree. He threw the loose end of the rope of a sturdy branch and gave a couple tugs. Satisfied that it wouldn’t break, Merlin began sprinting in a circle around the tree, and soon enough his feet had left the ground and he was flying in circles. After about five minutes of nonstop spinning, Merlin let go of the rope and flew into a crash landing with a groan. He pushed himself up and had grass and dirt all over his face as he grinned.

“Best. Day. Ever!” He laughed. Quickly though, the guilty look came back, and he looked extremely antsy this time. Arthur decided now was his chance. Merlin had sat back down by some rocks covered in ivy and had drawn his knees up and just sat staring ahead at the earth.

Arthur cleared his throat and squatted down besides the young warlock, “I can see that you’re feeling a little guilty about this, am I right? Just by looking at you it’s as clear as day!” Arthur began, Merlin looked at him briefly from the corner of his eye and made a quiet hmph sound. “Now, Merl- can I call you Merl? This is some serious stuff right here. Very serious, but let me tell you: it’s only natural! A teenage boy being rebellious to an overprotective mother by going on a top secret road trip? It’s bad but could be considered good for you, healthy even.”

By now, Merlin had lifter his head and was looking at Arthur with wide eyes, “You think it’s alright?” he muttered. “My mom will actually, literally, physically kill me if she finds out!”

“No, I know it’s alright! Every person alive will have one moment of rebellion passed and behind them!” Arthur said punching Merlin on the shoulder before standing up and leaning on the rock by one putting one of his booted feet on there. “Does your mom deserve this? Not really, and will it break her heart into a million pieces? Probably! But it’s something you’ve got to do. Prove yourself a man with this.”

Merlin looked down at the ground, his eyes roaming the dirt frantically taking in what Arthur had just said. His mind was racing just as bad. He looked back up to the other.

“Break her heart?” He muttered, watching as Arthur picked a grape from off one of the many vines covering the rocks.

“In half,” He said looking at the grape while he rotated it in his hand.

“Into a million pieces?” Merlin muttered looking between Arthur and the grape with a dazed look coming into focus on his face.

“Easier than a grape, if you will,” Arthur said squishing the fruit between his two fingers. He went over to Merlin and started pulling him up by his elbow.

“She would be heartbroken, you’re right,” Merlin said with a sigh. He looked around dejectedly. The grass and the trees and even the birds’ music that played high in the trees had seemed to lose its magic. The essence of freedom Merlin had just gained, destroyed by the burden of realization.

“Aren’t I, oh, I hate when that happens sometimes.” Arthur said, picking up Aithusa by her middle. “ He turned away and smiled and hurriedly tried to get a somber look to grace his features once more, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, kid, but I’m letting you out of the deal.”

Merlin looked at him confused, “what?” he asked watching Arthur turn around and shove Aithusa into Merlin’s arms unceremoniously. The little creature hissed at him as he took a step back.

“That’s right! But don’t thank me, let’s just take you back,” Arthur kept going, he went around and clasped a hand on Merlin’s shoulder and began guiding him pushful-like back in the direction of the tower. “I get the satchel back, and you get a mother-daughter relationship based on trust. Then we’ll part ways as unlikely friends!”

Merlin shoved back and away from Arthur, “You didn’t let me finish! As I was saying, clotpole, that she would be heartbroken, yes, but it’s something she’s going to have to get over. I am going to those lanterns!”

Arthur frowned and threw his hands dramatically in front of him, “What is it going to take to get my bag back!?” At this Merlin stood taller and held a fist in his face.

“Don’t make me do something I’ll regret.” He spat. Arthur could see some more of that yellow dancing around in his eyes again. What was it coming from? What’s up with this boy, also? Arthur put his hands up in surrender. He’d think of something else to get out of this from later.

There was a sudden and loud rustling coming from the bushes. Merlin gasped and pushed Arthur in front of him as a human shield. The rustling continued.

“Ruffians? Thugs? Are they after me?” Merlin streamed out in pure panic as the noise kept getting louder. By now Merlin and Aithusa had somehow wrapped themselves around Arthur from the back. Merlin had his hand stuck out over Arthur’s shoulder. All eyes were on the bushes when suddenly it stopped shaking and what was in them popped out.

A bunny. A small fluffy gray bunny, with a small puffy, cotton ball looking tail.

“Be careful,” Arthur droned mockingly, “it probably can smell fear.”

Merlin hopped down with the small dragon attached to his shoulders, “Oh, sorry,” Merlin breathed out with a few nervous giggles and an awkward smile. He stood awkwardly beside Arthur and rubbed the back of his neck, “guess I’m just a little jumpy.”

“It would probably be best if we avoided ruffians and thugs, right?” Arthur said eyeing the other. Merlin breathed out a laugh through his nose.

“Yeah that would probably be best,” He said looking around the woods.

“Are you hungry?” Arthur suddenly asked, enthusiastic as could be. “I know a great place for lunch!”

“Where?” Merlin asked looking at the man wondering if he could possibly be up to something else, but kind of not caring due to the promise of food. Arthur smiled and grabbed his wrist.

“You’ll know it when you smell it!” He said before he started to drag the other off deeper into the woods.

♦ ❖ ♦

Maximus, that one horse that caused Arthur such a headache, had not given up on the search for Arthur. He was still following a trail he thought that Arthur would be on.

The horse heard footsteps growing in the distance. He spied a rock and hid behind it pulling a branch down by his teeth. Ironic enough, this hiding spot made the shape of a horse as well. Soon enough, the footsteps had gotten loud enough to suggest that the creator was now right in front of him. Maximus let go of the branch he had been holding and leapt up and over the rock he had been hiding behind.

It was a woman. Specifically, it was Morgana. He whinnied in disappointment. She was startled but recomposed herself.

“A palace horse,” She said eyeing it, she suddenly realized something, “where’s your rider? Emrys,” she said eyes widening in fear, “Emrys!”

She took off back up the path she had been following, fleeing all the way back to the tower as fast as she could, using her magic to give her an extra boost. Soon the tower was in sight. She ran faster.

“Merlin! Let down the ladder! Merlin?!” No answer, she ran off to the side of the tower and started yanking away vines and flowers growing along the side. There was a wood door which had been hidden by the overgrowth for years. She used her magic to break it down and started running up the stairs. When she finally made it to the top, she again used her magic to bust open a second door. She had to bend down to get through the doorway and she stood back up straight when she slowed to a stop in the center of the room’s floor.

“Merlin?” She hollered, she looked all over the dark and quiet tower. She searched in a mad frenzy to find her weapon to no prevail. She called his name loudly, ripping and stripping the entire tower. Finally she ripped open the curtains to the window. Light poured through it shining a sliver of light across anything that it could reach. She turned away from the window, upset and confused as to where Merlin had gone.

Something under the stair glimmered in the light. She went to the stairway and pulled up the top of the stair to investigate. It was a satchel and a crown. She realized who’s crown it was and dropped it in fear. How did he get this? There was something else in the bag too. A small embroidered piece of red and gold and white. It was the Camelot’s symbol and stitched into it at the bottom read ‘Arthur.’ Morgana glared at it.

She strolled over to a chest of drawers and pulled out two things: a book, and a dagger. She would get her weapon back and more. Uther and his son both better beware.

♦ ❖ ♦

“I know it’s around here somewhere,” Arthur said as him and Merlin hopped back onto a path from out of the woods. They had been wandering for a little bit and Merlin had been starting to have his doubts about where they were going. They turned to go down the path when they were greeted by a sign that had a dragon’s head on it.

“There we go! Kligarrah’s Tavern! Named after the last dragon that resided in Camelot.” Arthur said elbowing Merlin lightly, “Don’t worry, quiet place, perfect for you.”

Now inside were the knights of Camelot who were currently off duty. Arthur wanted to have taken Merlin to a place where actual thugs and bad guys were, but he’d ruin that plan. Besides, a drunk knight might as well be the same thing. This also killed two birds with one stone, for Gwaine and Leon were in here waiting for him.

“Well, I do like dragons,” Merlin agreed, smiling and scratching Aithusa’s head. She leant into the affection and gurgled in her throat. Arthur punched a fist halfway up in the air.

“Alrighty! Let’s go then.” He said leading the way to the entrance of the tavern.

“Gausseu, your finest table please!” Arthur hollered as he slung the door open with one arm and nudged Merlin in there with the other one. Merlin went bug-eyed and froze.

Ruffians. Ruffians everywhere. Men covered in scars and dirty clothes sat and chatted about everywhere. There were some armwrestling in the back and others having a chug contest, a couple were even swords fighting on a table. When Arthur practically announced their arrival, most eyes turned towards them. It didn’t help that the tavern was poorly lit and these men seemed even more imposing and menacing. Merlin started to try to back up but Arthur grabbed him by the shoulders and started pushing him forward. Merlin was shaking and his eyes were darting everywhere looking at all these figures that crowded the room.

“Do you smell that? Take a good breath in, and tell me what you’re getting. I’m getting bad man-smell and _really_ bad man-smell!” Arthur chatted while still pushing Merlin through the crowd. “I don’t know why, but overall, I smell the color brown. Your thoughts?”

Merlin gasped and jumped around. He had forgotten still to take off the handkerchief rop and had it wrapped around his waist, but a little bit had been trailing behind. Now, a lot was trailing behind due to some guy holding it and watching it unravel.

“That’s a _lot_ of neckerchiefs,” He commented watching Merlin twirl around trying to unravel farther away.

“You have no idea. Say, is that blood in your moustache?” He said bending down, to look at it better, “Hey, Merl, this man’s got blood in his moustache!”

The man Arthur was talking to was Leon. Arthur when he had bent over told him to just play along and to spread the word. Merlin had kept twirling till he was a little ways away and then started to recoil the handkerchiefs back around him, he had kept backing up while doing so and when he was halfway through he bumped into somethi- someone, he realized when he heard a grunt followed by a growl.

“Say kid, you don’t look too good,” Arthur remarked strolling up to the warlock. The poor teen looked like he was on the verge of having a heart attack. “We should probably head back and call it a day. I mean, this is a five-star joint and if you can’t handle this then you should head back to your tower.”

Arthur was just about to go out the door when it was slammed shut by a giant and looming figure.

“Where do you think you’re going, Prince Arthur?” The man asked. Merlin stood behind Arthur and looked at the giant in front of him. “Gwaine and Leon spilt everything when you didn’t show up yesterday. This boy wasn’t part of what they recounted so, why don’t you introduce him to us and explain why you’re with him and not… the prize, or we’ll tell your father just what kind of a reckless thing you’ve pulled.”

    Arthur stared at him, “Percival, don’t bother yourself with this boy, I was about to take him back to his tower anyways.” The hand on the back of Arthur’s shirt clenched.

    “Oh, no, mate, you’re not goin’ anywhere…” Arthur heard with a few hiccups in between. He turned and saw a completely drunk Gwaine, “‘sides you owes us after ya disappeared fa so looong.”

    Arthur and Merlin started backing up into the center of the room. A bunch of the men who looked the most rugged had started gathering around and questioning Arthur about anything and everything. Merlin had somehow got pushed back and away from and started trying to fight his way back in.

    “Hey!” Merlin yelled but was drown out by the crowd, “give me back my guide! Leave him alone!” He tried yelling all sorts of things to them but nobody stopped and now Arthur was backed into a table trying to appease the men.

    Merlin decided he had had enough. The tallest one, the one who had blocked their path had walked underneath a branch that hadn’t been cut off from one of the rafters above. Merlin’s eyes flashed gold and the branch snapped down and back up, popping the man loudly on the head. The room went still.

    “I said leave him alone!” Merlin yelled one last time. “I don’t know where I am and I _need_ him to take me to see the lanterns because I’ve dreamt about them my entire life! Find your humanity, haven’t you ever had a dream?!” Merlin begged. The man from before stalked towards him and bent down in his face.

    “I had a dream, once,” He said, “it was to be a Knight of Camelot. That dream came true through hard work and the willingness to do anything for it.”

    “And I had a dream to be sober-” a hiccup, “but look at me now, dollfaces. Some dreams aren’t gonna come true.” Gwaine slurred from his table and downing another flagon.

    “Oh, hush, Gwaine, you brat. Dreams are what make camelot what they are!” Another man yelled out from the back. Next thing Merlin knew, everyone in the tavern had come to life talking, shouting and acting out what they’re dreams were and are.

    “Say, Arthur,” Percival asked turning to the blonde standing by the door watching Merlin jump from group to group talking with everyone. What in the world was happening? He somewhat hoped this was a dream.

“Yes, Percival?” He turned his head to face the knight.

“What’s your dream?” At this all the background hubbub stopped to hear what their friend and future leader had to say.

“Oh no. I don’t do dreams.” The knights and other taverners started to crowd in chanting for Arthur to just spill it out already. They grabbed him by the arms and legs. Suddenly Arthur was thrown up onto the bar.

“Alright, I too have a dream. It’s for there to be one kingdom! And it shall be Camelot remaining. With _no_ magic! A world where we can live in peace without the threat of Albion ever again.” Before he even finished the men were cheering, whooping, and celebrating this. Merlin felt like it would be best if he went back to his tower. Morgana was right. No, he _had_ to see the lanterns first. Arthur didn’t need to know about him having magic.

The doors to the tavern burst open. Soldiers from Albion burst in.

“Where’s Arthur, we heard he’d be here!” They yelled.

“You’re not supposed to be in here, this is past your borders!” Leon snapped standing to attention with his hand hovering above his sword.

“That’s where you’re wrong, knight. King Uther has given us permission personally to take back what was stolen from us.” The captain of the soldiers said. The other soldiers had started walking around to the edges of the room in search of the prince. The head soldier showed off a piece of parchment to the other knights. One of them swore loudly, but Arthur couldn’t see who. Him and Merlin were hid under the backside of the bar.

“They have permission. Even though that tiara was ours!” another one yelled.

“Your king had the queen’s tiara melted into a dagger the week after your queen had passed. This one, this _crown_ , was the missing prince’s. The one that was stolen away by that bloody witch who thinks she’s still a high priestess!” Merlin’s eyes widened and he started to fidget. Arthur saw and wanted to know why, but now wasn’t the time.

Suddenly a hand popped in front of their faces. It was a dark-skinned knight. His name was Elyon. He moved his eyes from them to the wall behind him and as he did so he inconspicuously flipped a small lever that was underneath the counter. A small tunnel was revealed when the floorboards popped up and out. The noise they made was smothered up by the ruckus of the soldiers and taverns-people. Merlin and Arthur took one look at each other before the darted in it. They paused in the doorway.

“Go, live your dream.” Elyone told them.

“I will,” Arthur replied. Thanking his friend a million times for what he has just done.

“Not you, Arthur. Your’s isn’t that important right now. I was talking to him.” Elyon snipped nodding his head in Merlin’s direction. Merlin gave an apologetic, crooked smile. Arthur rolled his eyes and with a huff began crawling through the small passage.

“Thanks for everything,” Merlin said. He patted the knight’s shoulder before going after Arthur, hoping his newfound friends would be alright and they’d actually make it.

Along the way, Arthur had found a lantern and was currently guiding him a fidgety looking Merlin. They were both silent and it was a tense silence. Especially after passing the skeleton pinned to the stone walls by a sword. Arthur had to break it.

“That was impressive of you back there, actually having the gaul to hit Percival with a tree branch. To be honest, I didn’t think you had it in you.” Arthur said. He turned his head to look back at Merlin as they continued their walk through the tunnel.

“I know! - I know… I guess all the training mother put me through paid off.” He said with a proud smile. “So, Arthur. Why were those men so interested with you and a…. Tiara was it?”

“Whoa, I’m not going to tell you my story. I’m more interested in yours, though.” He said looking back at Merlin with a mischievous smile. “Now, I know I’m not supposed to mention the dragon, your mother, and frankly I’m too scared to ask about the amount of handkerchiefs you own.”

Merlin rolled his eyes, “A perfectly normal amount, thanks.”

“Abnormal,” Arthur corrected, “My question is this: if you’ve wanted to see the lanterns your entire life, why haven’t you gone before?”

“Uhm, well…” Merlin looked around frantically for an excuse. The world just happened to be on his side. The ground had started to rumble and a couple small pebbles had fallen off the cave ceiling and bounced off of Merlin’s head. Merlin looked around, “Uh, Arthur?”

Soldiers suddenly started to pour through the part of the cave they had just gotten through. They sped towards them with a conviction and a fury that terrified Merlin.

“Run. Run!” Arthur yelled grabbing Merlin by the arm and shoving him ahead. They both ran, literally, for their lives. The soldiers were like snapping dogs at their heels chasing them further and further through the dark passage. They passed through the tunnel’s opening onto a ledge that jutted out above a cliff. All around the two were wooden structures. It was a watermill filled with complex aqueducts and other contraptions. There was a ladder that dangled down from the front of the jut. They ran towards it, when suddenly two soldiers bursted out.

“Who’re they?” Merlin asked looking concernedly at them.

“They don’t like me,” Arthur said pointing at them and backing him and Merlin away from the edge of the jut. The other soldiers bursted out of the passage’s mouth too, their swords already drawn.

“And them?” Merlin asked staring at the soldiers.

“No they don’t either.” Arthur replied. Suddenly Maximus, the horse, halted to a earth-crunching stop between the soldiers.

“What about him?!” Merlin asked now looking at the horse.

Arthur whirled Merlin around, “let’s just assume that everyone here, at the moment, doesn’t like me.”

“Here,” Merlin stated while tossing Aithusa to Arthur and finished unwrapping the neckerchief rope from around his waist. He started to lasso so it and through onto a piece of a wooden railway way up above everyone and it looked like it had broken apart long ago. He hooked it to the wood on the first try (thanks to a little magic) and with a running jump, he swung himself up high. Arthur on the other hand was stuck back at the mouth of the tunnel with only a rusty pipe that lay near his feet and the dragon.

“Arthur Pendragon. I would say I hate what I’m about to do but I hate lying worse.” A voice said from behind with a chuckle. Arthur turned to see the captain of the small group of soldiers step forward, sword drawn. The man made the first move and Arthur dodged it, picked up the pipe and bashed him in the back of the head with it. Arthur using some extreme luck and fanciful maneuvers kept going with the bashing-the-soldiers-with-a-pipe plan after seeing the first one stay down. He plowed through all the soldiers quickly and clumsily.

“Pipes are mightier than swords. Who knew?” Arthur commented before seeing another sword out the corner of his eye. He turned prepared to fight whoever was left.

It was the horse. The horse that gave Arthur such a headache. It lunged its head at Arthur. He ducked and ran around to the other side of the horse, which in turn Maximus slung around to face Arthur again. They duelled in an odd fashion. Arthur using the pipe to clumsily deflect the sword that Maximus brandished in his mouth. Merlin was sat on the other side and watched the duel in confusion.

“You should know this is the strangest thing I have _ever_ done!” Arthur called out. Just then, Maximus actually because Arthur to sling the pipe out of his hands. They both watched the pipe bounce off the side of the cliff and down until it clanked to the bottom. “How about two out of three?”

“Arthur!” Merlin called. He lassoed Arthur around the waist (again with some magic) and gave as hard of a yank as he could. Merlin had wrapped some of the kerchiefs around a wooden post that stuck a bit out of the ground. Arthur had swung down below the ledge Merlin was on and the two soldiers at the bottom started to rush to him. Merlin gave the rope a pull in a try to lift him up, and finally manage after some more magic. Arthur rose and kept swinging up above the other two soldiers who could only stare after him in awe.

“You two should really see your faces,” Arthur called after them. He turned around to look at them, “You both look-” He crashed into a aqueduct- “ridiculous,” he wheezed out.

Merlin flinched at Arthur’s crash but turned to look behind him at a noise from behind. When he turned, he saw with horror that the soldiers were up again and the horse was kicking down one of the wooden posts supporting the structures. It fell and made a bridge to where he was.

“Come on, kid!” Merlin heard Arthur yell. He turned to see him holding his end of the kerchiefs up with Aithusa holding on for dear life around his neck. He was standing on the wooden planks that formed the walls of the aqueducts he landed in. “Jump!”

Merlin had already started running, as he had heard the horse start to race towards him, and he shot off the side of the cliff. He could feel rope burn forming on his palms as he slid down towards the ground on the rope. He landed, skidding to a pause over some water that had formed a puddle in the ground under the aqueduct. He grabbed as much rope as he could carry and started running as fast as he could. He heard thunderous crashes but didn’t dare turn around.

If he had he would have seen Arthur had surfed down the aqueduct and jumped out of it but also caused it to fall apart as he did so. Arthur landed squat down on his feet before he snatched the end of the rope and started sprinting after Merlin.

There was more creaking and groaning behind them, similar to the sound the aqueduct made before it had broke apart. The water that the mill used had to come from somewhere. The dam it was in was starting to break apart and splinter. Then it blew.

Wood shot everywhere and in the spots where the wooden planks had been, water came spewing out. It was going to flood the place entirely. There was no mercy as the water came crashing down. It took out the soldiers, the aqueducts, anything and everything. It took vengeance on having been trapped in a dam for as long as it had.

The water chased after Merlin and Arthur as they streaked through the canyon. It crashed on and around a giant structure made out of the earth and it crumbled a little at the bottom before it started to fall over. Merlin and Arthur had just barely tumbled through the opening of a closed up mining tunnel before a huge chunk of canyon rock sealed off the entrance. Water started to seep in quickly and the two looked at it before the boys started to look for a ways forwards. They couldn’t go back down the rocks they had climbed up on, for the water was already pooling on the ground. Arthur jumped down to see if there was some way to get out. Merlin and Aithusa started clawing at the rocks above. Arthur popped back up and grabbed onto a rock to pull himself up but cut himself.

“It’s no use. I can’t see anything!” He gasped. Merlin looked at him before he sucked in a breath and dove down to try and look. Arthur pulled him back up and grabbed his shoulders, “Merlin! It’s no point, it’s pitch black down there.”

There was a slight shake to his voice that made Merlin scared. He backed up into the wall of rocks behind him and he stared at the water, which was now up to their middle.

“It’s all my fault. You and mother were right, I never should have left.” Merlin looked at Arthur, “I’m so, I’m so sorry, Arthur.”

The teen started to tear up and it broke Arthur’s heart, “You know, I once got in trouble for kissing the servant boy.” Arthur blurted.

Merlin looked at him, while wiping his eyes, “what?”

“It’s true! My father found out and he was mad. I kind of regret it though, considering I’m supposed to be choosing out a wife but I turn them all down and my father knows exactly why.” Arthur said looking at Merlin’s reaction through the corner of his eye. “I thought i should get it off my chest, somebody might as well know.”

Merlin made a sound of agreement, “I was born with magic, and am considered the most powerful sorcerer of all time.”

“...What?” Arthur looked at him in shock. This boy, a powerful sorcerer?

“I’m a powerful sorcerer. With magic. Magic!” Merlin’s eyes turned completely gold and with a smile he spoke a spell in a language in which Arthur had never heard before.

It started off quietly but then it got louder very fast. A sucking noise and the sound of the rocks being pulled in too. Arthur felt himself being pulled down and Merlin wasn’t anywhere in sight. Arthur could feel a huge knot of nausea forming in his stomach, but then he too was gone and whisked away. He closed his eyes.

The feeling of being whirled out didn’t last long and Arthur opened his eyes to see he had been shot out through what once was a closed off opening and into a river below it. He swam up to the river’s bank and climbed up until he was halfway out. Spluttering he looked to the side and saw Merlin coughing up blood.

“I’ve never been allowed to do a spell like that and I guess I know why now,” He hacked out, “at least we’re alive. Oh, we’re alive!” He said, rolling over on his back smiling a bloody grin. Arthur just stared at him like he had five heads.

“He has magic,” He said now staring at the grass in front of him. Aithusa having still made it so far on the journey sat in front of him, “he has magic. I didn’t see that coming. He’s a sorcerer, but he’s not evil like the rest of them?” He could hear Merlin saying his name but he didn’t realize that he was talking to him, his brain couldn’t focus enough to comprehend it.

“Arthur!”

“What?!” Arthur looked up to see Merlin hunched over trying to unhook his rope from some rocks but nearly falling in instead.

“I’m no different now than I was before. Magic isn’t bad. It’s the user that makes it do good or bad things.” He said before he tried to pull again. This time he did fall in, he came spluttering back up and stood up before wading to the rock the rope was attached to and untangling it by hand.

“I would leave you if I knew we wouldn’t need you again.” Arthur heard Merlin murmur to the rope as he struggled to untangle it. Arthur watched shocked to the point where he couldn’t even think, all he did was sit there while holding his hand. Aithusa nudged his face with her snout.

“Magic can hurt, yes. But it can also heal if you use it right.” Merlin continued having finally gotten all the rope out of the water and piling it up away from the shore and untieing it from around his waist. He looked around before he looked back at Arthur, “you can stay in the water for the rest of the day and be useless or you can get out and find some rocks while i find some sticks to make a fire.”

Arthur said nothing as he watched Merlin roll his eyes and stroll of into the woods, dripping wet. As soon as he left, Arthur clambered out and just stared around. He looked at his hand and saw it was still bleeding something fierce. He walked over to the handkerchiefs and untied on from the end and wrapped it around his hand. He looked towards the edge of the woods where Merlin had disappeared to and saw a tree root that looked big enough to sit or lay on.

That’s exactly what he did too, he laid down on the root and he fell asleep. Aithusa laid down in the grass in front of Arthur and kept an eye out for Merlin’s return **.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1 Kudos while I'm uploading? Nice, nice. Thanks guest! Basically this is the halfway point and I'm glad that 12 people have started/tried reading it when I last saw. I hope my grammar isn't too awful and that you guys can give me some pointers for future refs? Thanks! (:

Now, what has Morgana been up to since she discovered Merlin’s disappearance? A lot of things actually. None were good things.

She had seen them through the window of Kligarrah’s. She was on her way to sneak into the kingdoms in search of him when he Merlin standing on a table with a bunch of the knights telling how he was _never_ going back to the tower. She hid quickly in a tree when she saw the other kingdom’s men walk in and watched as all hell broke lose. She saw Merlin and Arthur down into the passage, and she found out where the passage led to. Arthur and Merlin, thankfully didn’t go the right way, but those two soldiers who were down at the bottom? They did and they ran into her. They never got the chance to run away from her. She enchanted them before they even saw her.

♦ ❖ ♦

When Merlin had come back with the wood he came back and saw Arthur asleep. He rolled his eyes and muttered a dollophead before he set the sticks down in a pile. He went around gathered some decent sized stones from around the water’s edge and set about making a fire. He heard Arthur fall off the backside of the root he was lain on when Merlin had just sat down to put the fire on with a spell.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” Merlin chirped turning his head to see Arthur pop his head up from behind the tree and look at him confused. “I made a fire. I’d go find us something to eat but I don’t know how to hunt and you don’t look like you could hunt even if you wanted to.”

Merlin saw Arthur eyeing him and with a sigh he stood up and moved a ways away from the fireside. He couldn’t really feel the warmth of the fire and he was starting to feel chilly considering he wasn’t fully dry and there was a cool breeze going. Arthur needed it more than he did was all he could think to keep him over there. It was a big shock to someone who clearly hated magic to learn that someone they thought of as a harmless, weird but okay boy to be an all powerful wizard. He wouldn’t dare mention his mother to him now, he was ninety-nine percent sure that the high priestess they mentioned was her.

He glanced over and saw Arthur had slipped over the root and leant against it as he sat in front of the fire. Merlin saw he was holding his hand and it was wrapped in a bloody neckerchief.

“You’re hurt,” Merlin commented aloud. Arthur looked up at Merlin as he had been staring into the fire like it had the answers he wanted, instead of looking at the person who’d give him the answers he needed.

“And you have magic,” Arthur quipped. Merlin sighed. He knew from the announcement Arthur made back at the tavern that getting him to not hate him was going to be a tough challenge.

“No, Arthur. I’m of magic. I was born from magic into a world of magic and in my oxygen flows magic. If my magic was taken away, I would die. And I have had it sealed away twice. I barely survived three days.” Merlin said getting more vocal with each sentence, he’d say what all he had to say and then tell Arthur it was up to him if he took him the rest of the way to see the lanterns.

“I have never hurt anyone. I have been trained to be able to defend myself and others, yes, but I would never dare use my magic to solve problems where words and peace would suffice. My magic is not something I chose to have, it is something that was there before, during, and after I was born. I myself know how cruel magic can be. My mother would use it to ‘discipline’ me as she calls it, and only now have I started to realize it was just her bending me to her whim,” He stopped and breathed, Arthur might not have noticed due to him staring at him with a blank but stoic look, but Merlin saw what he had accidentally started to do unconsciously. He calmed himself before he continued, “I’m going to go see those lanterns, but Arthur, I’m not going to force you to come with me any further if you don’t want to. I’m sure I can find Camelot or Albion or something in the middle on my own.”

His voice had died down and got nervous again as he watched Arthur look back into the fire again. He sighed and started to go down to the river, he felt like he and Arthur both needed alone time.

Merlin sat at the bank before he slid down into it, still sat. His eyes turned gold and he began making the water around him make shapes and dance. He made water in the shapes of  triangles and circles and squares pop up into the air before letting the plop back in their source in raindrops. Aithusa joined him. She hopped on his head and blew puffs of smoke through water rings Merlin hovered up. Merlin looked at the water and wondered how deep is it and got an idea.

♦ ❖ ♦

Arthur had many ideas running through his head. Leave him, stay with him, kill him, forgive him. None of which Arthur knew to be the absolute right one. Each one was clawing his brain and it was driving him crazy. Then Merlin had to go and add that spiel at the end. It made his mind go into overdrive. What if he said half those things to warp him into wanting to still go? He didn’t even have to go anymore? He wasn’t going to get the crown back. He also thought about what he should do with it now that there was another story to it. Take it back obviously.

He was about to go off on another train of thought but something caught his eye. Merlin and Aithusa were sitting waist deep in the water making water donuts and seeing how many the little dragon could puff smoke through, Arthur smile a bit but wiped it away as soon as he realized it was there, but he kept watching Merlin play in the water. Without warning, Merlin stood up with his arms spread open and his hands facing upwards. The farther up he stood the higher he brought his arms up until his hands clapped together.

He had made a bubble out of the water. Arthur felt like his jaw would drop at that. Now Merlin rolled the bubble forward, him and Aithusa going deeper into the river. And soon Arthur couldn’t see the bubble. He scrambled up and jogged over to the edge of the bank and stood ankle deep in the water. What was that idiot thinking? Him and Aithusa wouldn’t be able to stay down there long the air would run out before they even were halfway across. Arthur didn’t jump in after them, how would he be able to do anything for him anyways? That river could be super deep for all he knew. He heard splashing and a little bit of laughter.

“That was a wasted trip wasn’t it?” Merlin said to Aithusa who only sneezed in response. Then Merlin realized that Arthur was staring at him while ankle deep in the water. “What are you doing, Arthur? You didn’t want to sit by the fire anymore?”

“No, you dollophead, I came over here because I saw some _idiot_ go under water in a _bubble_.” He snapped. Merlin’s cheeks got a little pink and he gave a half smile.

“I, uh, just wanted to know how deep it was all,” He replied. He saw Arthur grab his hand again, “do you want me to heal your hand? If not I understand. And if you don’t want me nearby, I, uh can sleep over here somewhere. And then we can part ways in the morning.” He started rambling off again and Arthur realized it was the exact same, weird Merlin. He also realized if Merlin really was bad as magic has been said to be then Merlin was supposed to be on some murderous rampage and causing nothing but mayhem wherever he went but the only time they ran into trouble, it was because of Arthur’s choices. Merlin looked to be barely an adult, and all he wanted in his life was to see _lanterns_. Then he’d go and lose his couple days of freedom after that for the rest of his life. Arthur decided he’d let his prejudices go just so this boy could fulfill his one dream before he lost the chances of any others.

“Merlin,” He tried to get his attention while the boy kept rambling, “Merlin. Just go sit by the fire. I’ll take you to see the lanterns still, but we’re not going to watch them from Camelot. It’s weird that you have magic, and to be frank I’ll probably be a little antsy whenever you use it, but I’ll be fine.”

They both walked over but Merlin lagged behind. It upset Arthur a little bit knowing it was his fault for reacting so badly, but he couldn’t help how he acted. He sat on part of the root closest to the tree trunk. Absentmindedly he rotated the kerchief on his hand while he stared at the fire. He looked up as he saw Merlin standing awkwardly across the fire from him. He decided to tell him to sit down and stop fussing at himself over nothing.

“Arthur,” Merlin blurted, “I, uh, let me heal your hand. It’ll get infected if I don’t, and it looks like it kind of hurts. Please? I won’t do anything else I swear!”

Arthur looked at his hand, what had he really to lose?

“Okay, I guess.” Arthur conceded. Merlin had been looking at everything but Arthur but as soon as he answered Merlin’s eyes snapped onto Arthur and went wide. He slowly made his way around the fire and sat a little bit away from Arthur.

“May I see your hand?” He asked looking at Arthur’s hand. Arthur gave it to him in a cautious manner. Merlin took it in both of his and looked at the other for one final confirmation. Arthur looked back and gave a slight nod.

“Don’t freak out,” He added and with that Merlin took off the handkerchief and did his best to toss it into the fire. He looked back at the hand and studied the wound. His eyes then turned gold and Arthur stared at them. He only had gotten glimpses and seen inklings of it before, but now? Now Merlin’s eyes were two shining orbs that actually shone quite brightly. He murmured words in that foreign tongue again and Arthur’s hand started tingling. He looked down and to his astonishment, the wound was fading pink and then it was gone. His jaw did drop open this time. He looked at Merlin, who had closed his eyes, and saw an eyebrow twitch, the boy was focusing so hard. Did it take a lot to be able to do magic? Or was it Merlin who never had a real reason to use it or had the chance to use it with real people?

Merlin’s eyes opened and he breathed out, “there. That wasn’t too bad, was it?”

“No, no, no it was all fine. Super. Dandy, even.” Arthur said while looking like he was going to have another full on freak out.

“Hey don’t freak out,” Merlin started.

“Who’s freaking out? I’m not, I’m just curious how long you’ve had such magical powers?” Arthur stammered out not even stopping for air.

Merlin decided to get Arthur’s mind off of the magic and go along with the question, “Forever like I said earlier. Mother said when I was little, I was reckless since I had no control over my magic. She said people used to try and take me to use for evil purposes or sacrifices to gods, and sometimes just to kill for me being of magic. She’s done many things to help hide it more. She tried once when I was five to seal away my magic, but after two days, I was on the verge of death. It’s why she just makes me stay in the tower, so nobody would hurt me and so I couldn’t harm anyone either.” Merlin looked away. Great, he thought, now he probably thinks you’re some sort of sappy teenager. “It’s why I never- why I could never…”

“Why you never left that tower?” Arthur asked. “And you’re gonna go back there?”

“No!... yes? Ugh,” Merlin drew his knees up to his chest again and stared at the fire, “it’s complicated, I guess.” Aithusa hopped up onto the back of Merlin’s neck and nuzzled into his cheek. He scratched the back of her head. He looked at Arthur from the corners of his eyes.

“So,” Merlin began with a small smile on his face, “The servant boy, huh?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. Forgot I told you that, didn’t I?” Arthur looked up, “I should probably spare you the horrible awkwardness of it, it’s a bit of a weird one.” At this Merlin scooched closer, setting his elbows on his knees and propping his head in his hands. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Well, when you’re a fifteen year old boy already getting pressured by your father to become the best knight in all of Camelot, a future king, and picking out options for a gorgeous wife; the pressure adds. It adds and you push it down but then one day, the servant you’ve known for years and has become a best friend for you tells you things that you’re emotionally compromised brain wants to hear, and so you do weird things. Like, kiss them. Looking back, I don’t think I ever actually liked him as I thought I did, but it did make me realize some things. It took away one duty I knew I wouldn’t ever be able to fill. A Queen. Father found out and locked me in my room for two months and put the boy in the stockade and fired him.”

Arthur sighed, “Now look, kid, you can’t tell anyone about this, okay? It’d ruin my father and mine’s reputation.”

“Ah, yes, ‘cause we don’t want that to happen now do we?” Merlin joked. They both let out a couple laughs and then all they did was stare. Arthur snapped out of it first.

“I, I should, uh, go get some firewood.” And with that Arthur hopped up from the root and started to walk off.

“Hey, Arthur?” Merlin called, “It could have been a lot worse. You could’ve ended up kissing the stable boy.”

Arthur laughed and disappeared into the woods.

♦ ❖ ♦

“Well, I thought he’d never leave!” A shrill voice rang out from behind Merlin. His eyes widened and he twisted around.

“Mother what are you doing here? How did you find me?” He asked walking over to her.

“It wasn’t all that difficult, I just followed the footprints of betrayal and they brought me here!” She spat, punching Merlin in the chest.

“I, I’m sorry, mother.” He coughed out. For a small woman, she sure packed a punch.

“Doesn’t matter. Come on, Merlin, we’re going home,” She said, dragging him by the wrist. Merlin struggled, half succeeding.

“No, mother, you don’t understand. I’ve been on this incredible journey; I’ve seen and learned so much stuff, it’s incredible. I even met somebody!” He said still fighting against her pull.

Morgana turned her head towards him, “yes, the son of the man that would have us both killed! I’m so proud!” she mocked.

“Wait, mother,” He finally pulled free, “I think, I think he likes me!”

“Likes you? Merlin, please, that’s demented,” She snapped with a cold look in her eyes, “this is why you shouldn’t have ever left. This whole insane _fantasy_ you’ve invented, proves you’re not ready to be here. Look at you, child. You’re a monster, do you honestly think he’ll be impressed? Don’t be stupid, we’re going back.”

“No!” Merlin yelled. His eyes widened in shock at himself, Morgana’s squinted.

“No? Oh. Merlin thinks _he_ knows best?” Morgana said stalking back towards Merlin. Vines shout out of the ground, wrapping around his ankles and wrists, “I see how it is. If you’re so sure he won’t leave you, then give him this!” She said tossing the satchel at his feet, “this is the only reason he’s here and as soon as he gets it, he’ll leave you! But let’s put a leash on you Merlin, to make sure you come back home. Who knows what other funny ideas may start running through your head after this.”

She stalked even farther forward till she stands right before Merlin. She smiles cruelly at him before putting her hand up to his forehead.

“No, no, no, no, no, no! Don’t, please!” He goes to scream but then his head lolls down.

“Maybe you won’t last as long this time.” She spat before dropping the vines from Merlin and walking back into the woods.

Merlin came to a couple minutes after Morgana had flitted back into the woods. He stuffed the satchel under his shirt and sat back by the fire. He felt like he could cry. She sealed his magic. He wouldn’t be able to even move around too well tomorrow night. He wasn’t going to go back now,, though. He’d rather die out in the woods having watched the lights than be forced back to that cursed tower to be cured. It’d be okay. Arthur wouldn’t know or probably care afterwards anyways. He kept staring into it lost in his thoughts.

“Hey, can i ask a question?” Arthur called out as he trekked his way back to the fire, “am I going to get super healing or something? I mean, that would be awesome!”

Merlin didn’t even acknowledge him, he readjusted his hold on the wood he found, “Hey, Merl, are you alright?”

“Huh, me? I’m fine. Just thinking,” Merlin said moving his head in Arthur’s direction but his eyes still transfixed by the fire. Arthur knew something was wrong, but didn’t want to force it out of him.

“Well, here’s the thing. Super strength and super looks have always just come naturally to me and super healing would be a blessing to any knight, don’t’cha think?”


	6. Chapter 5

Arthur woke up the next morning to water dripping onto his face. He opens an eye to see flaring nostrils. The same ones that belong to that headache, Maximus the Horse. Arthur closed his eyes and started to try to go to sleep.

“If you’re going to stay here, it better be to apologize,” Arthur muttered.

Merlin jumped awake to a yell. He sat up to see Arthur getting dragged away by his boot by a horse. He jumped up and chased after the two. It was like a game of tug-of-war and Arthur was the rope. His boot ended up being yanked off by Maximus and him and Merlin went tumbling back. After the initial shock of both parties being thrown in different directions, Maximus went to go after Arthur again, but Merlin had also taken action. He ran in front of Arthur and towards the horse waving his hands in hopes to get the horse to listen.

“Easy, boy, easy,” Merlin tried soothing as he blocked the stallion from passing by him to get to Arthur, it seemed to be working, “easy, that’s it!”

Maximus looked at Merlin and as his eyes roamed higher he saw Aithusa mimicking Merlin’s arms with a stern look to her face. He blinked.

“Now, sit,” Merlin ordered. Maximus went to sit but held himself about a foot from off the ground, “sit,” this time he sat all the way down.

“Now drop the boot,” Merlin said pointing to the ground. Aithusa sat still atop Merlin’s head and pointed down with her tail. Maximus just glared, “drop it.”

The boot fell to the ground with a regretted plop.

“Aww, you’re such a good boy!” Merlin said, he had been speaking to the horse like he was a dog and the horse responded well to that. Merlin was feverishly rubbing the horse’s snout to reward the stallion. It worked. His ears had stood straight up and Arthur could have sworn the horse was shaking its tail in pleasure at Merlin’s praise. Now, Merlin was hugging the horse’s face. His cheek squished against Maximus’s snout, “Yes, you are, aww!”

“Are you tired from chasing this bad man all over the place?” At this the horse actually nodded, and Arthur couldn’t help but let out a shout of indignation as Merlin continued to baby talk and coo at this annoying horse, “nobody appreciates you, do they? Do they?”

Now Merlin was rubbing the horse’s neck and side, he wraps his arms around the stallion’s neck and Maximus puts his head on Merlin’s shoulders. Aithusa has wandered up onto Maximus’s head and is rubbing her face all throughout his mane.

“Oh, c'mon! That’s a  _ bad _ horse!” Arthur argued pointing at the horse and talking as if he was enemy number one. Merlin squinted his eyes at Arthur.

“What are you talking about? He’s nothing but a big sweetheart,” At this, Maximus whinnies in agreement. Merlin scratches under the horse’s chin and sees a nametag on the center part of the horse’s reigns, “Isn’t that right, Maximus?”

“Oh, who cares?!” Arthur huffed. Maximus peered from around Merlin glaring at Arthur with all his might.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Merlin said as Arthur had started scrambling back up as Maximus tried to make his way at Arthur again, “look, this is a very important day to me, and I need this guy to get me to there. I just need him twenty-four hours max, and then you two can chase each other to your hearts content!”

Merlin looked between the two of them, Arthur was glaring annoyed at the horse, and Maximus was glaring between a pout at the prince. Arthur sighed and bowed his head. Then he stuck his hand out. Maximus turned his head away from Arthur glaring at nothing in particular.

“And this is for my birthday, just so you know,” Merlin said through a smile and puppy eyes in the stallion’s direction who seemed to waver a bit. He gave an annoyed look to still nothing in particular, before turning around and begrudgingly shaking Arthur’s hand with his hoof.

Merlin heard bells in the distance, and pushed between the two to get a closer look. They both watched him pass with a confused look. And while both weren’t paying attention, Maximus took the opportunity to whack Arthur in the stomach causing him to fall down.

♦ ❖ ♦

Arthur had been planning on taking Merlin to Camelot to watch the lanterns, personally based on the bias of his kingdom was better than Albion. And then there was also the fact that Arthur was apparently a wanted man there now, but then there was Merlin. Little Merlin who had been wanting to see the lanterns since he was a child but never going in fears he’d hurt somebody. Hurt somebody with his magic, and in Camelot the only person that’d get hurt for magic was the sorcerer themselves. They were always put to death without trial. Arthur wouldn’t have that happen to Merlin. Meeting Merlin made him wonder if maybe the druids that were slain, and all the high priestesses, and the people that had been burnt at the stake; maybe they weren’t as evil as they were drawn out to be. The only evil that Arthur had witnessed in these cases was his father and the townspeople who came and cheered as they watched men and women burn to death.

So, it was for these reasons that Arthur, who had become fond of Merlin extremely fast, decided if anyone would be faced with a sentencing would be him and not the wizard. They had changed their route to Albion. The river they had come out at had actually put them closer to Albion and it took them only a half hour to get there. Merlin’s face of pure excitement at the arrival to the castle’s gates was something that Arthur was glad to see. He knew this was Merlin’s first time seeing the castle that he watched from the tower for over a decade. His smile was contagious when he turned to look back at Arthur and the prince couldn’t help but smile back as Merlin whirled back around and bounce off towards the kingdom. And when Merlin was nothing but a backside to him, Arthur ripped off a poster of him from the side of a wall and start to crumple it up. He heard a neigh and saw Maximus glaring at him. With a smirk he shoved the poster into the horse’s mouth, who then proceeded to spit onto Arthur’s face and whinnied out a laugh. Then it was on: pushing, shoving, and-

A gurgle out of Aithusa grabbed their attention. She puffed smoke at them and shook her head. They both let go of each other and glared.

Merlin wasn’t paying attention to the two’s bickering behind him, he was too busy rushing up ahead to get a better view of the village in front of him. The town was so vibrant and alive that it took his breath away. People bustled along the streets underneath banners of purple with golden moons on them that crossed around flower garland that hung from the roofs of the houses and shops that created the sides of the street throughout the entire realm. Families were shopping together, men were pulling carts filled to the brim with all sorts of object, salespeople were trying to talk customers into buying their wares, and Merlin just stood to breathe it all in. He just felt the need to observe it all for a moment, not knowing if this would be his first and last time to see the sight of people living a life he’s never had the chance to imagine. Not even stories told of such a life. Stories were dramatic and had a hero doing heroic things. Merlin wanted to know what a normal, non-heroic life was. And he had just found it.

When they had left from where they camped the night before, Merlin had tied the rope of kerchiefs around himself again, but instead of wrapping them up he had let it drag. Now he was regretting it. The kerchiefs were being pulled by passersby who kept tripping over them and pulling and pushing Merlin into strangers, which he profusely apologized to everyone of them. Arthur came up beside him holding most of the kerchiefs in his arms after seeing Merlin getting yanked every which way.

Arthur looked around, he saw four girls sitting on the edge of a fountain pool. They were using kerchiefs that looked like the banners to make headbands as their base for flower crowns. They had about five that they had finished and were running low. It appeared they were trying to sell them to passing people. Arthur whistled and showed them all the kerchiefs with a smile. They gasped and revealed toothy grins.

The next thing Merlin knew was that four girls were taking apart his kerchief rope and braiding them together into a loop and stuffing flowers wherever they could. The girls had a determined look glued to their face. They all looked to be sisters, everyone of them had ginger hair, and the two youngest looked to be twins. Merlin sat down beside them and started helping, which caused the girls to giggle.

Arthur watched sitting underneath a wall, so passing guards wouldn’t see him. It looked like he had made the girls’ lives by not only giving his kerchiefs to them but also helping them make more crowns. Arthur looked up over his shoulder and saw part of a couple soldiers march by the wall, he slumped down further. He turned back to look at Merlin and saw him modeling for the girls as they had put a flower crown and two flower ankle bracelets on him. He was smiling from ear to ear while making various poses for the giggling children.  _ Cute, _ was all Arthur could think, which startled him a little bit, but not much. It wasn’t the first time on this trip that he thought that while travelling with Merlin. Maximus got up into Arthur’s vision and wiggled his nonexistent eyebrows at Arthur who just pushed the horse’s face away with his forearm.

Now that Merlin had finished helping the girls with their flower crowns, he dragged Arthur all over the place, stopping to ask him about certain things they saw as well as just to look at everything, Merlin was going to see and do everything he could in case he never would get to again.

Him and Arthur were stood in line at some stand, when something caught Merlin’s eye. He turned and started to go look to get a better view at it. It was a mosaic that took up the entirety of the entire wall. It displayed a man and a woman, both of brown to the point of black locks. The man had a beard and the woman was holding a baby. The baby had brilliant blue eyes and black hair with chubby cheeks. The baby held both his parents features. Arthur figured it was the king and queen, if the regal clothes and the way they were depicted of holding themselves were anything to go by. At the base of the mosaic, flowers were everywhere and a couple other trinkets. He watched as a mother and her two kids were sat at the base. The daughter set down a flower in the middle of the platform.

“This is my present to the lost prince!” She said with a proud smile on her face. Her mother smiled back that showed nothing but love. Merlin felt a little jealous, but didn’t focus too much on it since he couldn’t seem to stop looking at the baby in the mother’s arms. It looked a lot like him, but then that was silly! Morgana was his mother, wasn’t she? He didn’t ponder too long on that either, having been distracted by a group of men playing various musical instruments.

Arthur, who had been stuck in line to get food, turned around to see that Merlin wasn’t with him anymore. Instead Merlin was dancing by the men who were playing instruments. He hopped and skipped over to a little girl and soon they were dancing around in the town square. Merlin was hunched over, so he could dance with the child, but both were giggling and smiling. But Merlin didn’t stop there, no, he pranced around and started pulling men and women alike to the circle that people had formed around them and soon everybody had started dancing. The music was lively as people started to dance around with both strangers and friends. Merlin spotted Arthur and motioned for him to join but Arthur waved him off. Maximus shoved him into the crowd and watched as Arthur was pulled into the dancing. It was one of those dances where you would spin around with them before trading off partners, Arthur never knew what it was called but it always looked like fun. Merlin and Arthur tried to make their way to each other but they were pulled away and had to dance with other partner, they just grinned at each other and kept on. The music was becoming more and more lively and high spirited. They and the other people kept spinning and skipping and laughing and smiling. The tempo was picking up and Merlin knew the song would be over soon. He saw Arthur in front of him and started making his way towards him as fast as he could, and it appeared that Arthur had the same idea. They met in the middle and twirled together just as the music stopped and clapping was heard all around.

They spent the remainder of the afternoon doing anything and everything Merlin wanted to do. Arthur may not have found some of the things to be particularly amazing and interesting, but Merlin’s bubbling excitement had spread through Arthur and he couldn’t help but share that excitement. They had bought a small kerchief for Merlin that had the little sun on it. Arthur let Merlin paint designs on him with some paints that kids were using on the sides of a building, which in turn led to Merlin painting every kid and some of the adults that passed through. By the time Merlin was done, he was a spectrum of colors and his own design was ruined. Aithusa was just as bad, for during the entirety of it, kids kept hugging and petting her, getting the paint smudged off of them and onto her. She had rainbow splotches all over her that shown vividly against her shiny, white scales. Arthur at some point had bought him and Merlin cupcakes which they enjoyed in a doorway that had a bit of a cave entrance, so they didn’t have to worry about guards. Both were nothing but grins. They even had sat down in a bookstore and Merlin told Arthur all about the stars and what sorcerers’ stories he loved reading about the most. They were glad the bookkeep didn’t seem to mind all of his books strewn across the floor as the two sat side by side, reading and talking.

Now it was evening, their day having passed by in a blink, much to Merlin’s dismay. He wanted this day to last forever, just him Arthur, and Aithusa having fun, doing whatever  _ they _ wanted. Merlin was thinking about going back after this less and less, the thought of freedom drugging his mind. He wanted it for as long as he could keep it.

“To the gondolas!” He heard somebody shout, he broke out of his thoughts. He raced Arthur to the docks and won, with a small bit of help. Nothing major, but Arthur was pretty sure he saw the stick he tripped on move to be in front of him to where he would trip over it, instead of stepping over it.

The gondolas were a ruddy brown and had a flower painted on the bow. Merlin had read about ships and the pirates that steered them, but he never had heard about a gondola and boats. It didn’t matter if he expected a big ship, he was still bouncing around excited about going out into the lake in it. The water was a deep blue and reflected the castle and the sun gorgeously, Merlin was completely transfixed by it.

“Hey, Max!” He heard Arthur call out, he didn’t look away though. There was a thud and Merlin assumed Arthur had tossed something up to the horse on the dock, “What? I bought them!”

So it must have been food or something for the horse, as he started to hear crunching.

“Most of them at least. I ran out of money,” Arthur chuckled when he heard Maximus whinnying out his fear over which ones were okay and which had been taken.

“Where are we going, Arthur?” Merlin asked finally breaking away from the view in front of him. Arthur grinned.

“Best day of your life deserves the best seat in the house, don’t you think?” He replied while setting Aithusa on the ground in front of him. Then they went to go wait for the night to arrive out in the middle of the lake.

♦ ❖ ♦

The sun had finally set and Merlin, Arthur, and Aithusa were staring at the sky. The lanterns would be lit soon.

“Are you ready?” Arthur asked looking at Merlin.

“Terrified,” Merlin scoffed. His eyes darted over to Arthur before looking back up at the sky. Arthur was looking at him with a look he couldn’t describe.

“Why?” Arthur questioned. Merlin could be a lot of things, but Arthur wouldn’t have guessed terrified was one, that was until he remembered the bunny rustling through the bushes. That felt like a lifetime ago, even if it was yesterday.

“I’ve been looking at these lanterns from my window for years and years wondering just what it’d be like to watch them in person. What if they’re nothing like I’d imagined?” Merlin said, eyes sad as they peered up at the starless sky ahead. Arthur just smiled at him.

“It will be,” Merlin closed his eyes and sighed.

“What if it is? What will I do then?” He asked opening his eyes and looking at Arthur worriedly.

“That’s the good thing about dreams, isn’t it? Once you’ve accomplished one, you get to pick out a whole ‘nother to work towards.” They smiled at each other and Merlin felt a bit of relief wash over him. He didn’t know what dream he wanted to go after next, but thought maybe, just maybe, he would get Arthur to tag along. They both looked back up at the sky in a comfortable silence.

♦ ❖ ♦

It was tradition for the king and queen to light the first lantern, and it was never a happy event for them as it was for their people. It was a day of mourning, of loss. The loss of an heir, a loss of a powerful sorcerer, but most importantly: it was the loss of their beloved son. The loss of watching him grow up into a strapping young man, and it pained that they had missed his first everything. His first word to his first kiss, if he had ever had such a chance. They didn’t know if Morgana would keep him alive for that long and after eighteen years, their hopes were dwindling. These thoughts had invaded the king’s mind, and he let one lone tear trickle down his face, which his queen wiped away quickly, but gently, with her thumb and held his face in her hands. He smiled sadly at her, and then they walked together out to their balcony. A lantern sat on a podium placed at the end of it in front of a stone railing that peered out at the waters below.

Together they set it off into the sky, and soon the courtyard below lit up and it didn’t stop there. There was a winding trail through the streets of the kingdom of lanterns lighting up looking like a glowing snake that wound its way from the castle.

Merlin and Arthur had decided the best way to pass the time while they were waiting was to take apart the flower crown and anklets the girls had made him and send them floating into the water. Arthur was responsible for holding the flowers while Merlin sent them floating, and Aithusa was in charge of supervising the process by pointing to which flower Merlin needed to send off next. The reflection of the castle was barely visible anymore, which made seeing the first lantern stand out that much more. Merlin’s eyes widened. He jumped back from the ledge and climbed to the bow and lent on the post and hung onto it.

Soon the entirety of the sky was filled with these lanterns, they were coming up out of the castle, and they were coming out from ships surrounding them, dancing around in the sky and over the water. Merlin turned around and smiled as he saw Arthur with two lit lanterns covered in star and moon designs.

“I have something to give you too!” He said pulling the satchel he had hidden behind him in the gondola, “I should’ve given it back to you ages ago, but I was scared. I’m not scared anymore, though… you know what I mean?” He asked with a hesitant smile on his face.

Arthur, took the satchel and set it back on the floor of the small boat, “I’m starting to,” was all he could say.  _ There was that one look again _ , Merlin thought. He smiled, though, as Arthur passed him a lantern and they both sent them up into the sky and watching them join the others. The lanterns were all performing a dance like they and townspeople had done earlier today themselves, but Arthur wasn’t all that interested in watching it. He was too busy looking at Merlin, his face lit up in a way that outshone even the brightest lanterns. He was nothing but mirth as he bounced back and forth looking at the lanterns in any direction he could twist to look at. He watched as Merlin leant far out the boat’s side and gave a lantern a light push back up into the night.

Arthur decided spontaneously to take Merlin’s hand. He didn’t know where he was going to take this, and if Merlin was going to be okay with that, but Arthur couldn’t really bring himself to worry about that right now. Merlin looked up confused but then he smiled that goofy grin of his. Merlin understood a bit better about the looks Arthur had been giving him. They were now facing each other and both smiling while holding both hands together.

Aithusa stuck her head underneath her front claws, but lifted one partially up to watch the scene unfold. The two had lent in and Arthur had brushed Merlin’s bangs back a bit with his thumb before dusting his hand down the side of Merlin’s face and under his chin before it came to rest on the sorcerer’s neck. Merlin was smiling sheepishly with pink on his cheeks and the lanterns’ lights dancing in his eyes. He was breathtaking to Arthur, it wasn’t fair, so Arthur decided he’d steal Merlin’s breath to make it fair.

Arthur’s eyes flicked to look behind Merlin to see what appeared to be his father and two of Albion’s guards on the lake’s shore, with green lanterns. He pulled back slightly and Merlin noticed.

“Arthur, what’s wrong?” He said looking behind him and cocking his head, which Arthur thought of a puppy but that was a distant thought. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s all fine, don’t worry, Merlin.” Arthur said still staring dazed at the shore, “I just, I’ve got to do something.”

Arthur rowed like a madman to the shore and as soon as it was close enough, he hopped out and dragged it onto the sands and grabbed the satchel.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back. Promise,” Arthur said staring down at Merlin, who was looking back up at him from his seat in the gondola trying to hide his worry. He nodded and, was he shaking a little bit? Arthur felt bad. He knew what this probably looked like to Merlin, but it was okay, he’d prove it by coming back as soon as possible.

Merlin watched him go with sad eyes, “It’s okay, Aithusa, he’ll come back,” he murmured more for himself while he scratched the little dragon under her chin as she sat perched on his shoulders.

♦ ❖ ♦

Arthur rounded a corner and saw his father sat on one of the rocks, string out at the water. He took a couple of cautious steps forward before coming to a stop.

“Father, I know why you’re here but I’ve been planning on taking this back to king Balinor myself,” Arthur began as he tossed the satchel down on the ground by his father’s feet.

“I’ve heard that you’ve been hanging out with a sorcerer, Arthur,” the king said, finally tearing his gaze from the waters to look at Arthur with a cold stare, “that’s one of the highest forms of treason you know. Was that him in the boat with you? Hadn’t you even learned your lesson from that idiotic kitchen boy scheme you pulled as a kid?!”

Arthur started backing up, but bumped into two guards.

“Arthur, I know you’ve been a very bad boy. And your daddy would be very disappointed in you,” Said a female voice that came from his dad’s- no it was changing. Morphing back into a woman. The shock on Arthur’s face made her give out a shrill laugh. She sauntered past him and Arthur could only stare as she made her way around him, kicking the crown out of the bag and onto the earth below. She paused beside him, “He’s mine you know. I stole him away first.”

♦ ❖ ♦

Merlin was standing in front of the boat, pacing back and forth. He looked over and saw Arthur coming back his way.

“I had started to think you had taken the crown and left me, dollophead!” Merlin called out to him. Arthur didn’t reply back, instead the outline he thought was Arthur he had seen through the mist was not one person, but in fact two people. Two soldiers. Merlin looked at the two with wide eyes and a fearful expression.

“He did,” One of them said with a smile on his face.

“What? No, he wouldn’t!” Merlin said even though his voice had started to tremble. The guard merely pointed out at the lake and to Merlin’s horror, there was a boat sailing away with Arthur at the helm. “Arthur? Arthur!”

“He made us a fair trade, a crown for the powerful sorcerer,” one of the guards spoke up, “Won’t Camelot be excited for another execution?”

Merlin jumped back towards the water. They came towards him with, what Merlin had read being, enchanted handcuffs. He ran and slipped, barely falling, but still going, not daring to stop. He went to jump over a log but his foot tripped over a part of a jagged limb that had been partially broken up and had been sticking out of the side of the log where he landed. Pain ripped through the bottom of his foot and he could feel the blood on his foot. The fall had knocked the wind out of him and his mind was swimming has he started gasping for oxygen. His mind was screaming for him to get back up and keep going with his body ignoring it and staying on the ground.

There were hands on him, and someone yelling his name. It was worried sounding, and it was female. His mind started to steady itself out again and slowly the world focused again and he saw it was Morgana who had reached him and not the men.

“Mother?” He wheezed out, still trying to get the air to go back into his lungs.

“Oh, Merlin, my precious boy!” Morgana said pulling Merlin’s head into her lap.

“Where are the guards that were chasing me?” He coughed. His foot was stinging but he didn’t feel like he wanted to do anything about right now.

“I dealt with them.” She said while smoothing Merlin’s hair back, “I don’t have anything to do a healing spell for your foot. All I can do is wrap it. Do you think you’ll be able to walk?”

“Yeah, not much of a choice is there? We have a long way to the tower,” Merlin sighed sitting up. He looked back at the water where he could see Arthur still floating across the lake. A tear slipped down his face, and as soon as Morgana had finished wrapping his foot, he limped back into the woods and out of sight,

♦ ❖ ♦

Arthur was technically on a boat sailing across the lake and away from Merlin, but not consciously or else he wouldn’t be anywhere near it. He just wasn’t given a choice. He was strapped on there while unconscious and the satchel slung across his shoulder.

The boat bumped to a stop when it hit the docks, which awoke Arthur, and got the guards’, who had been standing nearby, attention. Arthur saw he had been tied to the mast and started struggling while also trying to yell behind him for Merlin. The guards had reached Arthur and were currently dragging him away, but Arthur was a fight for them.

**Maximus being the ever faithful horse he is, was still sitting on the dock that Merlin and Arthur had departed from. He had been sitting and watching the waters for the two to come back, but he looked back to the commotion and having heard  Merlin’s name being shouted numerous times. He got worried. **


	7. Chapter 6

Arthur was pacing furiously in the small cell. He was mad beyond mad. Mad that he couldn’t get to Merlin, mad that he’d been so stupid to fall into that trap, mad that they locked him up and wouldn’t listen to a word he said. He went over to his barred window and grabbed them. He heard the door squeal open.

“Let’s get this over with, Pendragon.” The soldier had said. Arthur remembered him being the one he knocked off Maximus.

“Where are we going?” Arthur asked, though he feared. The looks he was getting from the guards only confirmed it. His hand went subconsciously to his neck. “Oh.”

Arthur had his head hanging down low as he was escorted down the dungeon’s hallway. He spared a look left and right to the cells and saw the two guards from the night before sitting in one of the cells. He took action. He took the guards by surprise and head-butted, elbowed, and kicked at them till they both were knocked to the ground, then he jumped, so his cuffed hands could be brought forwards, and he grabbed them by the collars and pulled them to the bars.

“Tell me how you knew about the boy! Tell me now!” He screamed at them. They shook their heads eyes wide.

“We didn’t, the lady told us!” One replied hastily. The lady? Her.

By now the guards were back on their feet and more had popped out to help get Arthur to move on towards his demise. He kept struggling and fighting and pleading, begging they let him go save Merlin, but none were listening. To them, Arthur was grabbing straws.

♦ ❖ ♦

Morgana took the last flower out of Merlin’s braided handkerchiefs, “There! It never happened.” She said standing up. She had been tossing the flowers in a basket and had put the kerchiefs on top so she could wash them later.

“Now,” She said hopping off the bed from where she was sat  beside Merlin, who had been silent the entire time and staring at the floor and his bandaged foot. It had gotten infected on the long walk back and was taking extra long to heal, even with magic. “I’m going to start dinner. It’s going to be hazelnut soup!”

She turned around and saw that Merlin hadn’t reacted in the slightest and kept staring piteously at the floor, “Merlin, I warned you as best I could that this would happen. The world is dark, selfish, and full of people who despise people like us. But you wouldn’t listen,” she sighs before she grabs the ends of two curtains, which acted as Merlin’s bedroom doors, and draws them shut.

Merlin’s eyes look up at where his mother had once stood and unfolded his hands that had been placed in his lap. He had been holding the handkerchief that Arthur had gotten him back at the castle. He looked at its design the sun and the moon. Aithusa was curled up by his legs, and Merlin laid back to stare at the ceiling.

He squinted his eyes shut, they had started to blur. It hurt his head but it wasn’t something new to him, although it wasn’t frequent when this happened to him. He was getting a vision. Sometimes it’d be in the future, or in the past, or in the now. It always dealt with him and it was always in his sleep, but it was always forgotten. This one wasn’t. This was his past, he could see the star and moon dangling above him, the people from the mosaic gazing down at him, and he saw himself being snatched out of a crib and going out the window.

Merlin had stood up at the shock of having this vision, but the moment he stepped down, he fell backwards into his nightstand at the force of the visions clarity and power.

“Merlin?” Morgana called up from the bottom of the stairs. She had heard a bang, “Merlin, what’s going on up there?”

Merlin was staring down at the tabletop of the dresser he had crashed into. He stumbled his way to the door frame, using the curtains to support him, considering it still hurt his foot to stand on it.

“Are you alright Em?” Morgana asked again as she was halfway up the stairs when Merlin stepped out.

“I’m the lost prince,” Merlin muttered eyebrows knitted and shock in his eyes.

“You’re mumbling again, boy, you know I hate the mumbling,” Morgana fussed her patience drawing thin.

Merlin’s face contorted into anger, “I’m the missing prince, aren’t I?” He glared daggers at Morgana, who was momentarily shocked, “Did i mumble, mother? Or should I even call you that?”

Morgana stared a couple seconds longer before she started laughing, but it was long enough for Merlin to confirm, “Oh, Merlin! Do you even hear yourself? Why would you even ask something so stupid?”

“Because I saw what you’ve done and what you’re up to,” Merlin stated. Morgana’s face fell to that of cold indifference.

“I’ve done everything to protect you,” She replied. Merlin shoved past her and started limping down the stairs.

“I’ve kept myself locked away thinking that I was doing people a favor staying out of sight, but I was only doing you one by living in fear of everything!”

“Where would you even go Merlin? That boy won’t be waiting for you!” Merlin looked at her suspiciously.

“What did you do?”

“That boy stole the crown and is to be hanged for his crime there and for his treasonous act of aiding a sorcerer. You.” Merlin’s eyes widened. No, this couldn’t be real! Merlin backed up and away from Morgana.

“Now, now listen to me: all of this is as it should be,” Morgana said while she was going to pat Merlin’s head, but Merlin snatched her wrist before she could.

“No!” You were wrong about the world,” Merlin argued his voice trembling, and Morgana could swear the tower was starting to tremble as well, “and you were wrong about me, and I will  _ never _ let you use me for my powers again!”

Morgana finally managed to snatch her hand out of Merlin’s grasp and tumble backwards away from him. She crashed into a standing mirror which fell and shattered the glass. She looks up at Merlin and sees him start to walk away and towards the window.

“You want me to be the bad guy? Fine I’m the bad guy.”


	8. Chapter 7

Arthur had given up struggling and was now just trying to desperately think of a plan but could feel the want to give up grow bigger. He looked off to the side to see the gallows already up and a crowd gathering. Then something shiny caught his eye. On the windowsill, a miniature shield with the Camelot symbol on it.

What?

The door slammed close in front of the soldiers and the captain started beating on it.

“Open this back up! What is the meaning of this?!” He yelled. Arthur got ready for what was probably going to happen. The wooden slat at the top of the door opened and there was Gwaine smiling cheekily.

“What’s the password?” Was all he said before slamming the slat.

“What?” The soldier asked in confusion taken aback.

“Nope!” Gwaine had said, this time when he opened the tab, he left the slat open.

“Open this door!” The man ordered.

“Not even close,” Gwaine said with a look of confusion on his face. He closed the slat again.

“I’ll give you to the count of three!” The soldier fussed. Arthur rolled his eyes. This wasn’t going to end pretty.

“One,” A hook came down from the rafters and one of the guards escorting Arthur was yanked up. The other one noticed but not the man in front

“Two,” The second guard was also yanked away and a door behind them slammed shut. The guard turned around and saw that it was just him and Arthur.

“Three.”

_ Whap _ ! Percival had opened the door behind the soldier and had conked him in the head with his shield.

“The password was obviously ‘please’,” Gwaine said from behind the towering knight. The door on the other end of the hallway burst open and the soldiers started to pour in in an endless amount it seemed. The knights usually would have stayed to fight but there just wasn’t anytime for that. The boys split up again. Percival went one way while Arthur and Gwaine went another. As Arthur and Gwaine raced around a corner, the soldiers stopped when some stranger was standing and blocking their path. It was a mime.

“Where did you find him?” Arthur asked as the two kept their dash out of the dungeons.

“Funny story, that is. It all started in the tavern!” Gwaine called back. They heard a scream behind them and didn’t hear the soldiers chasing them. Gwaine and Arthur sped through a doorway that led outside. Soldiers weren’t only heard here, but they were seen. It was like a tidal wave of the soldiers. Elyon came up beside him.

“Alright, Artie, arms in,” Arthur instinctively did as he said and repeated it back, “Bent knees,” same process, “knees apart.”

“Right, knees apart,” Arthur said, then he processed what Elyon had said, “Knees apart? What do I-”

He never got to ask his question. It had just been answered, Percival had jump down from a window ledge and sent Arthur flying into the air. He screamed the entire time. It was manly though.

He was expecting to land painfully or to land in another trap by the guards. But no. He landed on Maximus, and the horse neighed at the crash landing.

“Did, did you bring them here?” The horse nodded his head, “Thank you. No, really thank you. I’d keep talking but I don’t want to embarrass myself, so we should just go.” The horse obliged. He took off galloping and Arthur finally looked to see where he had landed and where they were racing off to. It was a ledge and it was high up.

Arthur gave nothing but yells of protests but Maximus ignored them and kept running. He jumped and landed on the roof across from them as soldiers started charging at them. But the stallion didn’t stop there, he kept running and jumped off the roof and landed in the streets of the town and kept on still. He was a bullet through the streets, and he went faster yet, all the way to the tower. When they came into the clearing, Arthur jumped off, and landed on the ground rolling before jumping back up. He ran till he was standing under the window of the tower.

“Merlin?! Merlin, let down the ladder!” He called panic in his stomach. Dark clouds had formed in the sky overhead as if to show the world how distraught he was feeling with this. He panicked a bit before running over to the tower side to start to climb up it, but then he heard the window open and the ladder unfurled until it was down by his feet. He climbed it as if his life depended on it and he didn’t slow down even when his arms were screaming at him.

“Merlin, oh, I thought I’d never see you again,” He called out as he started to pull himself through the window, relief on his face. That was until he saw Merlin staring at him in horror while strung up by red wisps on the wall. He had bruises and cuts on him and a couple of drying tears. Arthur’s face fell, Merlin looked like he wanted to scream something at him but he didn’t know what.

Then there was pain. Morgana had stabbed him with a dagger. Sure she wanted to go nice and slow but she couldn’t with Merlin having been there. She would just have some more fun with Merlin and take out on him what she wanted to on Arthur.

“Now, look what you’ve made me do, Merlin,” She said smiling, “our secret will die with him, but for us.”  She started to lower him but kept the restraints on him, Merlin tried to fight the magic but in vain.

“We’re going to somewhere where nobody will find us, and we’ll continue our fun until you’re trained properly.” At this, Aithusa ran out from the corner she was hiding and bit Morgana, who in turn kicked her off back into the shadows. She pulled a hatch open to reveal a  ladder that went down through the tower and started to get Merlin to try and float down it.

Her shrill laugh pierced both men’s ears, “Stop fighting, Merlin it’s useless!”

She spoke too soon The wisps around Merlin’s face had disappeared.

“I will never stop fighting to get away from you, not until I stop breathing or I succeed never. But, if you let me save him, I’ll go with you and I won’t try anything.”

He could hear Arthur give a weak protest but he ignored it, “I’ll train as much as you want, I’ll never try to escape again, I’ll even let you beat me like you do for fun sometimes! Just let me heal him, please.”

Morgana didn’t respond. Instead she waved her hands and there were wisps around Arthur’s waist.

“Just in case you get any ideas,” And gave Merlin limited mobility to his arms and legs. Merlin was at his side in a second and set Arthur in a sitting position again the stairwell.

“Arthur, Arthur!” Merlin said smoothing his hair back. Arthur coughed and then winced at the pain it caused,

“Oh, Arthur, I’m so sorry,” Why was he apologizing? It wasn’t his fault that Arthur got caught in a trap, it was his, “but everything’s going to be fine,” no it wasn’t Arthur knew that, he doubted even magic could do much for him.

“Just trust me.”

He did. Merlin went trying to put his hand on Arthur’s wound but Arthur kept shoving it away giving a bunch of no’s in protest.

“I can’t let you do this,” He choked out, each syllable and breath hurting.

“And I can’t let you die,” Merlin argued.

“But if you do this, you’re going to die,” Maybe not physically, but emotionally and spiritually yes, and Arthur didn’t want that to ever happen. He would rather be six-feet-under than let that happen to Merlin. A Merlin that was  _ almost  _ his.

“Hey, hey, shh, it’s going to be fine,” Merlin whispered caressing Arthur’s face. No it wasn’t and they both knew that. Merlin sat back up straight and put his hand on Arthur’s wound.

“Merlin… wait,” Arthur breathed out. Merlin leant forward. It looked like they were finally going to have that kiss that should’ve happened back at the gondola.

It didn’t happen here either. Arthur hadn’t come fully unprepared, and he used his chance now. He pulled Merlin down so the boy had fallen and was partially laying on him, and threw a dagger that his father had given him many years back, said it was a gift he received from King Balinor when they first signed their alliance treaty. Told him that it was created in a dragon’s breath and that it was the only thing that would surely kill any evil creature he’d come across. Well, now was the first and last time Arthur would use it for such a purpose.

The dagger went sailing across the room and Morgana who wasn’t prepared for it and didn’t react fast enough. The dagger pierced through her chest and blood trickled down underneath where the blade had landed. She looked down with wide eyes and screamed.  She fell to her knees screaming ‘no,’ over and over. She looked at Merlin before going to stand up and tried to walk over, swaying heavily. Aithusa had managed to climb up and sail down on her damaged wings, right into Morgana’s side and shoved her over and out the window. Merlin instinctively reached out but did nothing more.

Merlin looked down before he went back to Arthur, “no, no, no, no, Arthur. Stay with me! Look at me, Arthur! Hey, I’m right here,” Merlin said panicking. He held Arthur’s head in one hand and his hand in the other. Arthur had lost a lot of blood and now Merlin could panic, because now his success rates at this spell were lowering, but he couldn’t let it show until after he gave it his all.

He tore open Arthur’s shirt and put both his hands gently, yet firmly, over the stab wound. He screwed his eyes shut and started to get ready to say the spell, when he felt a hand to his face.

“Merlin, don’t close your eyes. I want to see the gold in them,” Merlin’s eyes snapped open and he looked at Arthur and nodded slightly. Arthur could barely keep his own open.  _ Don’t think, do _ , Merlin thought and looked back at Arthur’s wound. He started the spell. He could stop the bleeding at least and then he’d manually sew him up. The spell, however, was tricky and was considered dark magic even to other sorcerers, but Merlin had to do it. To save a life, one had to be taken. Only one tear managed to escape as he kept chanting.

And no, Merlin wasn’t transferring it to himself. Well, not all of it. See, Merlin was clever enough to figure out a loophole. He was powerful enough to be able to send his magic through the very stones of the tower, to the grass, and to the roots of the trees. And that’s what he did. He used the magic to the tree he had swung in circles around when he had first left the tower. It was the only thing he could think of. He used himself as a channel, a wound forming and closing on him as he channeled it slowly to that tree. It was hard to keep going at some points, his head spinning and his eyes blurring, but this was for Arthur and that was enough.

He stopped. The spell was over. Now he had to wait. If it had even succeeded. Now Merlin could cry and panic. And that’s exactly what he did. He wrapped his arms around Arthur’s waist and sobbed. He sobbed and sobbed.

“Did I ever tell you that you were my new dream?” He heard a voice mutter before he felt a hand card through his hair. He sat up and stared. Then he grinned and attached himself to Arthur’s neck. Arthur sat them up and Merlin pulled back, his puffy-eyes and tear stained face contradicting his brilliant grin. Arthur smiled back.

And them not kissing here in the tower? That was a lie, for them kissing was what exactly happened next. It wasn’t sweet or innocent, and it wasn’t dirty or suggestive. It was one that showed excitement and joy for the other. It wasn’t like they didn’t know their feelings were reciprocated. It was one of those messy kissy where your noses squish together and Arthur could feel the tears that coated Merlin’s cheeks rub onto his. Neither minded though.


	9. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it! The end! Hope you enjoyed it and that it wasn't too poorly written. Thanks for reading (: leave a kudos if you'd like, it'd be nice of you. (This is probably the shortest part of the whole story, but if there's something more I should add comment maybe? Idk.)

A guard burst into the king and queen’s study, where they looked up at the out of breath man who appeared to be in shock. The King had been looking out the window and the queen put down the book she had been reading. The guard didn’t say anything but took off running again down the hall, which they followed suit just as fast. They went back down to the balcony where they had launched the lanterns and saw Prince Arthur and a boy with a mop of black hair, a blue tunic, ripped-at-the-knee pants, and a neckerchief. The queen took hesitant steps forward and Merlin stood and watched. He looked like a deer in headlights to Arthur right now. He wanted to comfort him but knew it would be best to just watch and let Merlin do this on his own.

The queen reached out and put a hand on Merlin’s face, just to see if he was real. He looks so much more like his mother than his father. And eyes, they had the same eyes. She smiled and grabbed her son into a hug. Soon the king, no, Merlin’s father came up and joined in on the hug. All of them sitting on the stone flooring, still hugging. It was a happy sight. Merlin’s mother reached her hand out to Arthur, who assumed she wanted to shake his hand. No, she yanked him down to join the hug.

♦ ❖ ♦

Well, I bet you can guess what happened next. The kingdom rejoiced for their lost prince had returned. The party lasted an entire week and honestly, I don’t remember most of it. Dreams came true for everyone but Merlin and I were to focused on making some of our more… wilder ones come true to pay too much attention. Maximus did end up making most of the crime in the realm disappear overnight, along with the apples. Aithusa, she got to meet another dragon. Kilgharrah. He had been taking a long nap in the belly of a cave system underneath the castle, who knew?

At last, Merlin was home and he finally had a real family that showed him real love. He was a prince his kingdom was glad to have waited on. For he did everything in his power to help make it a place everyone would want to live, and he was loved by all. His parents even made me part of their family, and our kingdoms had been very… unfriendly for ages.

As for Camelot, well while I was gone on the whole escapade with Merlin, my father had fallen ill and died. A hex bag from what our kingdom’s doctor, Gaius, had said. He said it looked to be the work in Morgana’s style. At least she had what was coming to her in the end. Camelot fell under my rule then, and currently, Merlin’s family and I are working out the details to merge our kingdoms together, to make that Albion that existed so long ago.

Now, the big question? Did Merlin and I ever get married? Well, no not officially. We can’t make a whole religion make us the one exception, but we might as well have been. It wasn’t as bad as we thought it’d be. If a kingdom could go to accept magic easily, they could also accept two kings as well.

And we’re living happily ever after **.**


End file.
